Russia says new ICBM can beat any system...is this the beginnings of a new cold war?

Question

Russia has started testing new missles and is challenging new defense initiatives for the missile shield in Europe...

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070529/D8PEB1JO1.html

Answer 1

The current era of military build up is different from the cold war era, and much more dangerous

Russia and China are engaged in military build ups with uncertain aims and the resulting sense of instability has led to build ups in other countries. Taiwan and Japan have been increasing their military might in response to a percieved threat from China.

Something like the missle defence sheild (son of star wars) is of a totally different era. The idea of America being able to stop a soviet missle attack was absurd. With the number of missles and warheads there was always the possibility that some missles get through, say at least 10 war heads. That means, New York, Washington, Chicago, San Diego, Dallas, Seattle...in fact it doesn't take that many missles to do incredible harm.

With son of star wars the goal is much more limited, say a threat from China against Taiwan or Japan. With superior conventional technology they can easily stopped, but there is a threat from nuclear weapons. With the defence sheild they see the risk as too great (and the response to a nuclear attack could well be nuclear). So China backs down.

Though the war to beat the sheild is numbers, so yes a new cold war could begin, as defence and attack are both increased. But in reality the ability for the defence to beat the attack is limited.

But this whole situation is different. We don't have vast blocks that are aligned together. Korea, Tawian, Japan all have defence pacts, in case of invasion from China, but at the same time everyone works together in business.

So a situation of lots of weapons and uncertain alliances seems more likely and then you have the possibility of limited nuclear weaponry. For example, if Iran has 10 missles, the best way to destroy them is to use nuclear weapons.

Answer 2

With the Russian Federation developing new missiles and the United States developing new bombs, it may appear as if a new cold war is starting. I sincerely doubt a new cold war is beginning. While these new missiles may be unstoppable, they're not undetectable. One thing the cold war has taught us is that either side would have to be insane to risk a counter attack from the other. It's impossible to win in any scenario.

Answer 3

No. It is not a beginning of a new cold war. Russia is just defending itself, in a rational way, from Western bullies, who are unable, or unwilling, to realize that the Cold War is over.

Answer 4

I hope it's not the beginning of a new cold war. :( Living through the first one was no fun.