Τετάρτη 29 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

China's stealthy military leap


China's stealthy military leap


china-stealth

CHINA has crept up a rung on the world stage, with blurry pictures revealing its first stealth fighter.
The unofficial pictures appeared on Chinese internet forums over the Christmas weekend, before being pulled by censors.If real, the large combat jet presents a new challenge to the power of the United States which has heavily cut the number of new generation stealth fighters it is planning to put into service.Aviation Week magazine spotted the pictures......

Παρασκευή 24 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

France wins tender to build MISTRAL for Russia

France wins tender to build MISTRAL for Russia 

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy over the phone that France has won a tender to build amphibious assault ships for Russia The winner is a consortium comprised of French DCNS and Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), the Kremlin press service said.  At the initial stage, two Mistral-class helicopter carriers will be built jointly by France and Russia with another two to be constructed later in Russia. Russia will perform 20% of the construction work at the STX shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, USC spokesman Igor Ryabov said.

Πέμπτη 23 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

The mystery of missile defence

The mystery of missile defence
After the latest failed missile defence tests, critics wonder why the US has spent $100bn on the system.

The cold war ended two decades ago, but dreams of an impenetrable missile shield from Ronald Reagan - who once called the Soviet Union an "evil empire" - are firmly back on the US national security agenda. Late on Wednesday, the US tested its newest round of interceptors, spending $100m to blast a missile from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean towards California.The anti-ballistic missile system failed, as the kill vehicle designed to blow the projectile out of the sky missed its target, adding to a long-list of unsuccessful tests for the expensive weaponisation scheme.Since the end of the cold war the US has spent "approximately $100bn" on missile defence systems, Richard Lehner, a spokesman for the Missile Defence Agency, told Al Jazeera.Wednesday’s failed long-range test was important because it involved an attempt to intercept a dummy warhead, rather than the usual testing scheme of just maneuvering the missile to a particular point in space, said Ian Anthony, the research coordinator for the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a think-tank in Sweden.
Big bucks
Despite constant technological problems with the system, the White House has requested $9.9bn for missile defence programmes for the next fiscal year (2011), Anthony told Al Jazeera.
Those vast sums of money concern Theodore Postol, a professor of science and international security at MIT and a former scientific adviser to the head of US naval operations. The weapons expert, hardly a liberal dove, just doesn’t believe missile defence can work technologically.

View Mapping the missiles in a larger map

Δευτέρα 20 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

Iranian Strategic SAM Deployment

Iranian Strategic SAM Deployment
INTRODUCTION

With the current attention being given to potential Iranian nuclear weapons development, it is prudent to examine the defensive posture of the Persian state in light of potential military action. This article will focus on Iran's strategic SAM deployment. Three different strategic SAM types, along with two tactical SAM types, provide sporadic, yet still potentially effective, SAM coverage throughout the nation. Unusual deployment strategies hint at what may be part of a serious deception campaign, possibly providing insight into the apparent lack of serious, integrated ground-based air defense coverage throughout most of the nation.

THE STRATEGIC SAM FORCE

The Iranian air defense network relies on a mixture of Soviet and Western SAM systems. This relatively unusual mix stems from both pre- and post-1979 acquisitions from the West and the Soviet Union, respectively. The following SAM systems are currently in service as part of the overall air defense network: HQ-2 (CSA-1 GUIDELINE, a Chinese-produced S-75 derivative, employing the TIGER SONG engagement radar), HAWK, S-200 (SA-5 GAMMON), 2K12 (SA-6 GAINFUL), and Tor-M1E (SA-15 GAUNTLET).



EW Coverage

Primary early warning and target track generation for the Iranian strategic SAM force is handled by a network of 24 EW radar sites, one of which is currently inactive. These sites are primarily situated along the periphery of the nation, with additional facilities located in the vicinity of Arak and Esfahan. A third of the facilities are located along Iran's strategically important Persian Gulf coastline.

The following image depicts the location of EW sites in Iran:
SAM Coverage

Currently, there are 41 active SAM sites inside of Iran. The following image depicts the locations of these sites. HQ-2 sites are red, HAWK sites are orange, S-200 sites are purple, 2K12 sites are bright green, and Tor-M1E sites are faded green.
The following image depicts the overall SAM coverage provided by Iranian air defense sites. Using the same color scheme applied in the previous image, HQ-2 sites are red, HAWK sites are orange, S-200 sites are purple, 2K12 sites are bright green, and Tor-M1E sites are faded green.
HQ-2

There are currently 7 active HQ-2 sites identified inside of Iran. The HQ-2 does not appear to be heavily relied upon, with only 7 of 21 sites remaining operational.

The following image depicts the coverage provided by Iran's HQ-2 sites:
HAWK

There are currently 22 active HAWK sites identified inside of Iran. The HAWK has been a mainstay of Iranian strategic air defense since its acquisition before the Islamic Revolution. While numbers have dwindled, with roughly half of the Iranian HAWK sites currently active, the system is still widely deployed at numerous locations. The Iranian HAWK deployments are interesting as they represent a tactical SAM system deployed in a strategic capacity.

The following image depicts the coverage provided by Iran's HAWK sites:
S-200

There are currently 7 active S-200 sites identified inside of Iran. The S-200 represents the lognest-range strategic SAM asset operationally employed by the Iranian military.

The following image depicts the coverage provided by Iran's S-200 sites:
Tactical SAM Sites

There are currently 6 tactical SAM deployment locations identified inside of Iran. These systems are currently employed as strategic point defense assets. Two sites are occupied by 2K12 batteries, the remaining four being occupied by Tor-M1E TELARs.

The following image depicts the coverage provided by Iran's deployed tactical SAM systems:
Empty Sites

There are currently 31 unoccupied, prepared SAM sites inside of Iran. These sites have been identified as either HQ-2 or HAWK sites, based on their configurations. These empty SAM sites can perform multiple tasks within the overall air defense network. They can be employed as dispersal sites for existing air defense assets, complicating enemy targeting. They can also be used to deploy additional SAM systems currently held in storage if more air defense assets are deemed necessary in a given sector.

An overview of empty Iranian SAM sites is provided in the following image:
STRATEGIC SAM FORCE CAPABILITY

National S-200 Coverage

The primary means of air defense in Iran, insofar as SAM systems are concerned, is the deployment of 7 S-200 firing batteries throughout the nation. The four northernmost sites are positioned to defend the northern border and the region surrounding the capital of Tehran. A fifth site is situated to defend facilities in and around Esfahan in central Iran, including the Natanz nuclear facility. The last two sites are situated at Bandar Abbas and Bushehr and provide coverage over the Straits of Hormuz and the northern half of the Persian Gulf, respectively.

The northern four S-200 sites, as well as the southern two sites, are well positioned to provide air defense outside Iran's borders to deter any inbound aggressor from approaching the ADIZ. The central site near Esfahan is a curiosity, however. The southern and western portions of the coverage area are limited due to the presence of a good deal of mountainous terrain, in some cases 10,000 feet or more higher than the terrain where Esfahan is located. This also affects the remaining six sites, but they are affected to a lesser degree due to the fact that they are positioned to defend outwards towards the border and beyond, not likely intended to defend against targets operating deep within Iranian airspace. The Esfahan site, in direct contrast, is apparently situated to defend a central portion of the nation, and as such is limited in its effectiveness by the aforementioned terrain considerations. The curiosity lies in positioning a long-range SAM system in such a fashion to apparently purposely limit its effectiveness. This can be overlooked to a small degree as the S-200 is not necessarily a choice system when it comes to engaging low-altitude targets, but the terrain in the area would seem to greatly reduce the effectiveness of the Esfahan site. The radar horizon is the key issue here, as each piece of terrain situated higher than the engagement radar will carve a significant portion out of the system's field of view and limit its ability to provide widespread coverage.

Iranian S-200 sites appear to be purposely limited in their composition. Each site consists, unusually, of one 5N62 (SQUARE PAIR) engagement radar and two launch rails. For more information on this unusual practice, reference the following article on this site:S-200 SAM Site Analysis

Point Defense

The remainder of Iran's SAM sites are positioned in a point defense strategy to provide coverage of key areas in the nation. There are five key areas defended by shorter-range systems: Tehran, Esfahan, Natanz, Bushehr, and Bandar Abbas. All of these areas are also covered by S-200 sites, which are co-located in some instances, providing a degree of overlapping coverage in these locations.

The capital city of Tehran is defended by five HAWK sites, two HQ-2 batteries, and a 2K12 battery. There are four empty sites in the area. The southwestern two sites are prepared HQ-2 sites, while the northwest and southeast sites are prepared HAWK sites. Were the empty sites to be occupied, they would form an inner HAWK barrier and an outer HQ-2 barrier oriented to defend against threats from the west and south. This layout may be a legacy leftover from the Iran-Iraq War. Two S-200 sites are also in the vicinity, and the other two S-200 sites to the east and west also provide limited coverage of the capital.

The following image depicts SAM coverage of Tehran:
There are two HAWK sites and one HQ-2 site in the vicinity of Esfahan. One of the HAWK sites, as well as the S-200 site in the area, are located on the grounds of Esfahan AB, with the HAWK site likely situated to provide point defense of the airbase. The HQ-2 site and the remaining HAWK site are located south of Esfahan proper. An empty HAWK site is also located in Esfahan, likely representing a dispersal site for the battery at Esfahan AB.

The following image depicts SAM coverage in the vicinity of Esfahan:
Nuclear related facilities near Natanz are afforded a layered defense by recently-deployed tactical and strategic SAM ssytems. Natanz is defended by one HQ-2 site, three HAWK sites, one 2K12 battery, and four Tor-M1E TELARs. The tactical systems were deployed between September 2006 and September 2009; the increased air defense posture may signify an increase in activity at the nuclear facility.

The following image depicts SAM coverage in the vicinity of Natanz:
The Bushehr region, which contains a key nuclear facility, is defended by four HAWK sites and an HQ-2 battery. Two HAWK sites are located on the grounds of the Busheher military comples, with a third site being located offshore on Khark Island, while the HQ-2 battery is located further inland from the military complex nearer to Choghadak. Bushehr AB is also home to an S-200 battery. There are three unoccupied HQ-2 sites and a single unoccupied HAWK site in the area as well. Three unoccupied sites are situated around the nuclear complex, perhaps suggesting that any weapons-related work has been moved from the facility to one of the various inland nuclear research and development locations such as Natanz. This would appear to be a sensible course of action given the serious vulnerability of the coastal Bushehr nuclear facility to enemy activity approaching from the Persian Gulf region. The remaining unoccupied HQ-2 site is located on an islet northeast of Khark island.

The following image depicts SAM coverage in the vicinity of Bushehr:
Bandar Abbas, home to the bulk of the Iranian Navy including the deadly Kilo SSK fleet, is defended by one HQ-2 battery and one HAWK battery. There is an S-200 site in the region as well.

The following image depicts SAM coverage of Bandar Abbas:
Defending the Straits

The S-200 sites located in the vicinity of both Bushehr and Bandar Abbas provide Iran with a significant air defense capability over not only a good portion of the Persian Gulf, but also over the critical Straits of Hormuz. This SAM coverage, which can be further expanded thanks to the presence of unoccupied, prepared HAWK sites on the islands of Abu Musa and Lavan, allows Iran to provide increased air defense in conjunction with fighter aircraft to protect any naval operations in the region, including the potentially catastrophic mining of the Straits of Hormuz.

Air Defense Issues

The problem with Iran's strategic SAM deployment is the apparent over-reliance on the S-200 system to provide air defense over most of the nation. The S-200 is certainly a threat to ISR aircraft such as the U-2R or E-3, but the primary threat which Iran must consider is that of standoff cruise missiles and strike aircraft featuring comprehensive EW suites. Against these types of low-RCS or maneuverable targets, the S-200 cannot be counted upon to be effective. Libyan S-200 systems proved completely ineffective against USN and USAFE strike aircraft in 1986, and the Iranian S-200s would logically be expected to fare no better in a much more modern air combat environment.

As mentioned previously, the remainder of the SAM assets are primarily situated to provide point defense and as such do not represent a serious threat to a dedicated and sophisticated enemy. Even lesser-equipped nations would be able to explot the various gaps and vulnerabilities in the coverage zones provided the S-200s could be neutralized in some fashion, be it through ECM, technical capability, or direct attack. This raises the question of the importance of SAM systems to Iran's overall air defense network. Given the current deployment strategy, the small number of sites, and the capability of the systems themselves, it is likely that Iran places more importance on the fighter force as an air defense element. This would explain the continued efforts to retain an operational fleet of F-14A interceptors. The short range of the HQ-2 and HAWK systems, coupled with the ineffectiveness of the S-200 to deal with low-RCS targets, also explains reporting regarding Iranian attempts to purchase advanced SAM systems from Russia.

It is possible that Iran simply does not feel that a robust SAM network is necessary. Given the aforementioned terrain constraints in some areas of the nation, as well as the lack of a large number of what may be regarded by the Iranian government as potential critical targets inside of Iran, the Persian nation may have simply taken a minimalist posture, relying on the S-200 for long-range defense and the other systems as point defense weapons to defend Iran's critical military and political infrastructure.

Another reason for the lack of deployed SAM systems could be that the shorter-ranged HQ-2 and HAWK systems are no longer viewed as being effective enough to warrant widespread use. HQ-2 sites are currently 33% occupied, with HAWK sites being approximately 50% occupied, perhaps signifying more faith in the HAWK system but still demonstrating a potential overall trend of perceived non-reliability. Iran does have reason to suspect the reliability of the HAWK SAM system against a Western opponent, as the missile was an American product and has been in widespread use throughout the West for decades. The HQ-2, however, should be regarded as potentially more reliable, as it is not a standard (and widely exploited) S-75 but rather a Chinese-produced weapon with which the West should have a lesser degree of technical familiarity insofar as electronic performance, if not physical performance, is concerned.

A high ratio of unoccupied sites could be due to financial reasons (lack of operating funds may have resulted in a number of batteries placed in storage) or simple attrition (they may have been expended or destroyed in the Iran-Iraq War), of course, but those facets of the equation cannot be examined through imagery analysis alone. It should be mentioned that one possible source of attrition for the HQ-2 system is the conversion of many missiles to Tondar-69 SSMs to complement CSS-8 SSMs (HQ-2 derivatives) obtained from China. Many batteries may also be out of service for modification to Sayyad-1 standard, which represents a modification of the HQ-2 design with some indigenous components.

Σάββατο 18 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

Korean situation 'extremely precarious'

Korean situation 'extremely precarious'


 
 Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun said Saturday that China is deeply worried about the situation on the Korean Peninsula, which is extremely precarious, highly complicated and sensitive.Zhang made the remarks in a statement on China's stance on the situation.He said China had repeatedly told the parties that if a blood were shed on the Korean Peninsula, the peoples on the two sides of the peninsula would be the first to suffer.Zhang said bloodshed and conflicts would lead to the national tragedy of fratricide among compatriots and brothers of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), harm regional peace and stability, and affect neighboring countries.China had made unremitting efforts with the DPRK, the ROK and other parties through various channels, in a bid to avoid escalation of the situation, he said.

Παρασκευή 17 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

Prosecutor General’s Office opens criminal case against Timoshenko

KIEV, December 15 (Itar-Tass) --The Prosecutor General’s Office has opened a criminal case against former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko for misusing budget funds disbursed under the Kyoto Protocol.She was questioned at the Main Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office on Wednesday, December 15. I have just found out from the investigators that a criminal case has been opened against me for allegedly having used environmental money for pensions during the crisis,” Timoshenko said. he investigators wanted to bring official changes against Timoshenko but did not do it due to the absence of her layer, the former prime minister said.

Παρασκευή 10 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

Russia to pull out of Kyoto deal

Russia to pull out of Kyoto deal


Russia to pull out of Kyoto deal
16:15 10/12/2010
© AFP/ Joel Saget
Russia opposes the renewal of the Kyoto protocol and will not sign an extension to the climate treaty, Russian envoy Alexander Bedritsky said on Friday. "Russia will not participate in the second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol," he told the UN climate change conference in Cancun.The Kyoto Protocol is a legally binding agreement restricting carbon emissions that expires in 2012. A new global climate deal is needed to continue efforts beyond 2012.Bedritsky - president of the World Meteorological Organization and adviser to the Russian president - said there had been "no basic changes in the negotiating process."Russian President Dmitry Medvedev previously said the country would pull out of the Kyoto agreement if a compromise could not be found concerning the reduction of carbon emissions.Russia's announcement follows a statement from Japan that it would not sign an extension of Kyoto. Canada is also expected to oppose extending the Kyoto agreement.Russia believes that climate change should be tackled by modern technology, not cuts in carbon emissions stipulated by the Kyoto Protocol.

Russian Prime Minister to visit Arkhangelsk shipyards

Russian Prime Minister to visit Arkhangelsk shipyards

Russian Prime Minister to visit Arkhangelsk shipyards09.12.2010
Text: RusNavy.com
Photo: Vladimir Putin. dailymail.co.uk
Sevmash shipyard will officially finish works on launching secondBorei class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Alexander Nevsky on Dec 13. In the same day JSC Zvezdochka Ship Repair Centerwill perform moving of SSBNNovomoskovsk out of the covered slipway which was initially scheduled on Dec 11. That was said to the Central Navy Portal by a source in defense industry.


It is expected that both events will be attended by the governmental delegation headed by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin who will visit Arkhangelsk region in that time.
After that the premier will conduct a conference on development of Russian defense industry. Withdrawal of SSBN Alexander Nevsky from the covered slipway was supposed to be held on Nov 30; however, the ship's moving was postponed due to technical difficulties caused by frosty weather. According to unofficial sources, the submarine left the slipway and was placed in floating dock Sukhona. However, this information has not been officially confirmed.

Δευτέρα 6 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

US embassy knew Georgians “moved forces” to South Ossetian border - WikiLeaks

US diplomats in Georgia knew Tbilisi concentrated military force prior to the war over South Ossetia in 2008, the classified documents exposed by WikiLeaks show.Part of the new portion of materials published by Wikileaks were dedicated to the 2008 conflict over South Ossetia. The cables sent by the US embassy in Georgia to Washington show signs of intensifying military confrontation between Georgians and South Ossetians in the conflict zone in the run-up to the full-scale war.The US ambassador to Tbilisi John Tefft reportedly urged the Georgian Foreign Minister and the Deputy Minister of Defense “to remain calm, not overreact, and to de-escalate the situation,” the document reads. According to the embassy’s cable to Washington, Georgians explained their moves since August 6, 2008, by South Ossetia’s “shelling” of Georgian villages in the conflict zone.Meanwhile, foreign military observers in the region issued “numerous reports that the Georgians are moving military equipment and forces toward the north.” According to the cable of the US embassy in Georgia, “OSCE observers indicated that Georgian forces along with GRAD artillery are on the move, either as part of a show of force or readiness, or both.

Chinese Gold Imports Surge By 500% Through October

All who thought that China was merely posturing when it announced a few days back it was creating a fund to allow its domestic investor base to allocated capital to foreign gold ETF, may wish to reconsider after it was disclosed late last night that China gold imports jumped by 500% in the first 10 months compared to all of 2009 on concerns of rising inflation according to the Shanghai Gold Exchange. Other concerns probably include what is happening to the FX and stock market which have now moved on from cash flow to Keynesian failure discounting mechanisms: ironically the higher the S&P is pushed by the Brian Sack cabal, the more sovereign bonds are bought by the ECB, and the more bankrupt European countries are said to be doing perfectly ok by their new dictator Olli Rehn, the more gold will be bought across the world. China does not disappoint: from Bloomberg: “Imports gained to 209 metric tons compared with 45 tons for all of 2009, Shen Xiangrong, chairman of the bourse, told a conference in Shanghai today. China, the world’s largest producer and second-biggest user, doesn’t regularly publish gold-trade figures and rarely comments on its reserves.” And that would be in the form of JPM’s bogeyman: physical.
This is only the beginning:

Κυριακή 5 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

GLONASS as social service

Forming of Russia's Glonass satellite navigation system to complete on Sunday A Russian Proton-M   carrier rocket will deliver three Glonass-M satellites into the orbit on Sunday, completing the forming of the global navigation system, a representative of Russian space agency Roscosmos has said. The rocket will blast off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan at 03:25pm local time (10:25 GMT), he said.Glonass is the Russian equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian use. Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters.  Russia currently has a total of 26 Glonass satellites in orbit, but three of them are not operational. The three Glonass-M satellites to be put into orbit on Sunday will allow Russia to operate a complete Glonass network of 24 operational satellites and have several satellites in reserve. The three satellites are planned to be put into operation in about 6 weeks.

Παρασκευή 3 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

'Russians enthusiastic about 2018 World Cup'

'Russians enthusiastic about 2018 World Cup'

 
Dec 3, 2010 10:00 Moscow Time
Photo: RIA Novosti



“Millions of Russians are enthusiastic about their country being chosen to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup”,  Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said during a press-conference in Zurich. He said that the Cold War stereotypes about Russia were still strong in some countries but stressed that Russia was on the rise and would become even stronger by 2018. Mr. Putin promised that security would be tight throughout the championship.  

Τρίτη 30 Νοεμβρίου 2010

The West knew about Saakashvili’s aggressive plans, Wikileaks insists


Mikhail Saakashvili. Photo: EPA

Another series of secret documents that has been recently published by “Wikileaks” web site confirms that Georgia’s plan to attack South Ossetia in August 2008 was not a secret for the then US top officials. These documents – mostly, secret letters from the American embassy in Georgia to the US State Department – indicate that there were secret messages from Washington to Tbilisi on the eve of “the five-day war”.
However, this time, Wikileaks’ hosts were not that lucky as in previous times – the site was shut down for several days. But, of course, the site’s founding father Julian Paul Assange, an experienced hacker, had already protected his project by sending copies of the once secret documents to several world’s most influential magazines.

Goodbye Irish Sovereignty


Goodbye Irish Sovereignty: EU Commissioner Olli Rehn Issues His First Directive As Overlord Of The Emerald Isle

Tyler Durden's picture



Now that Ireland is a vassal state of the EU, and its democracy as its citizens know it, is finished, it was only a matter of time before the EU's Economic Affairs counsel started telling Ireland what and how to conduct its affairs. Sure enough, it took all of 24 hours between the "bailout" and the first order. RTE reports that Olli Rehn "says it would not be advisable for any new government to try to renegotiate key aspects of the IMF/EU deal." In other words, the EU is promptly realizing that the new Irish government is likely to reneg in part or all of the just struck deal and is therefore interjecting itself in the process. "In an interview with RTÉ News, Commissioner Rehn said it did not want to involve himself in democratic politics in Ireland, but he said: 'They are key parts of the programme so I would not advise re-opening these'." In other words, despite hating to do so, Rehn is now supreme dictator of Ireland, and the nation must do his every bidding if it wishes to not receive the Mutual Assured Destruction treatment and not get any banker Holiday greetings cards this year.
More from RTE:
He said he 'fully understood' the frustration and anger of the Irish people about the banking sector, which he said had made big mistakes in the past. 'However we have to move on and the essential thing is to complete the repair, implying both the restructuring and downsizing of the banking system,' he said.
Of course, only those moving on are the bankers who get no impairments whatsoever, while Irish taxpayers, now in perpetual servitude to the plutocrats, are forced to pray that potato famines do not make a sudden reappearance.
The one thing the corpulent bureaucrat is most opposed to is preserving the illusion that Irish pensions are for anything but pension funding:

Σάββατο 27 Νοεμβρίου 2010

No more barriers in the way of Russia’s joining WTO

Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel. Photo: RIA Novosti



Russia may join the World Trade Organization as early as in 2011, said Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at a news conference in Berlin following his talks with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Almost all issues have been generally agreed, he said. Before that, Putin told German businessmen during a meeting that Russia had covered its part of the path and had agreed all basic problems with the European Union in practical terms.
Russia has been pressing for WTO membership for 17 years now,

Modeling the Size of Wars

Modeling the Size of Wars
From Billiard Balls to Sandpiles*
Lars-Erik Cederman
Department of Government, Harvard University
1033 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, Mass. 02138


Richardson’s finding that the severity of interstate wars is power-law distributed belongs to the
most striking empirical regularities in world politics. Yet, this is a regularity in search for a
theory. Drawing on the principles of self-organized criticality, I propose an agent-based model
of war and state-formation that exhibits power-law regularities. The computational findings
suggest that the scale-free behavior depends on a process of technological change that leads to contextually-dependent, stochastic decisions to wage war.

Παρασκευή 26 Νοεμβρίου 2010

Euro may become new reserve currency - Putin

Euro may become new reserve currency - Putin

Speaking at an economic forum in Berlin Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that Euro may become a good reserve currency.“Due to the financial problems of Portugal, Greece and Ireland euro is a bit shaky but in general it is a reliable currency” he said. He urged the European countries to move away from the monopoly of the American dollar as the reserve currencyAccording to him this makes the global economy unbalanced.At the same time he said that the US is not losing its leading position.“Nobody is interested in it and nobody needs new disasters.
All countries should work together to make the global economy more efficient” Putin said.

Oxygen found on Saturn’s satellite Rhea

Oxygen has been found in a sample taken by NASA’s spacecraft Cassini, which is exploring the satellites of Saturn, the Guardian newspaper reports. This is the first time that oxygen has been found in the atmosphere of another planet. According to the newspaper the oxygen was found in the sample taken in March on Rhea, the second largest satellite of Saturn. Besides the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere, scientists haven’t seen other conditions that make Rhea habitable

Railway express to join Vladivostok and Suifenhe

A comfortable railway express is due to start shuttling between Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East, and the Chinese city of Suifenhe, as of early next month. It will run in test mode until the end of the year, with passenger transportation due to begin on a regular basis as of January. The train will have 10 carriages, specifically 8 carriages for passengers and 2 for mail and luggage transportation. The express will carry over 900 people every day. Suifenhe, on the Russian-Chinese border, is a Chinese city that’s most frequented by Russian tourists. 

Πέμπτη 25 Νοεμβρίου 2010

Russia’s Bulava ICBM to be test-launched on December 17

Nov 25, 2010 16:04 Moscow Time

Bulava. © Photo: «Vesti.Ru»



Russia is to hold a regular test launch of the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on December 17, an Air Force spokesman said on Thursday. For the first time the launch will be fulfilled from the sophisticated Yury Dolgoruky submarine in the White Sea, the spokesman added, citing the Dmitry Donskoi strategic nuclear-powered submarine, from where the Bulava ICBM was test-launched in previous years.