MOSCOW, October 4. /TASS/. China’s new missile attack warning system will reduce the probability of conflicts between nuclear powers. By assisting China in creating this system, Russia is contributing to strategic stability and security, military experts polled by TASS said on Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told a plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club on Thursday that Russia was helping China to develop its national missile attack early warning system. This system will drastically increase China’s defense capabilities. Today only the United States and Russia have such systems, the Russian leader stated.
"This is an element, which provides for better situational awareness, as they call it in the West. That is why, it [the missile attack early warning system] is, in principle, a backbone of stability and drastically reduces the possibility of unintentional incidents with missile armament," Editor-in-Chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland journal Viktor Murakhovsky told TASS.
In the expert’s opinion, the better a country possessing strategic nuclear forces is informed, "the lesser the probability of the emergence of a military conflict due to insufficient data on missile launches."
His view is shared by Editor-in-Chief of the National Defense journal Igor Korotchenko. "The existence of the missile attack early warning system in China based on Russian technologies and solutions, coupled with China’s strategic nuclear forces, improves transparency and predictability and reduces the risks of wrong actions and mistakes by the Chinese military and political leadership," Korotchenko told TASS.
The expert cited as an example a hypothetical conflict between the United States and China. In his opinion, China’s national missile attack warning system would not allow the US to deliver a disarming first strike against China in the event of a real war because China would have all the information on who can deliver a strike against it, if such a strike is delivered, and, correspondingly, would authorize the retaliatory employment of its nuclear forces.
"Thus, we are making a contribution to global strategic stability," the expert stressed.
Russian technologies
"For several years now, China has been studying our missile attack early warning system, the algorithms of its operation and technical capabilities and, finally, it has made a decision that it needs a similar system. We are providing both consultative and technology transfer support to it and are delivering some equipment," Editor-in-Chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland journal Murakhovsky explained.
Russia is assisting China with the technologies of ground-based radar stations, Editor-in-Chief of the National Defense journal Korotchenko said.
"First of all, these are the technologies of over-the-horizon radars capable of detecting the launches of ground- and sea-based intercontinental ballistic missiles," the expert noted.
In turn, Murakhovsky pointed out that these could be Voronezh meter- and decimeter-range missile early warning radars (Voronezh-M and Voronezh-DM radar stations developed by RTI Systems Group).
In the expert’s opinion, the transfer of the control system to China is also possible. "Our system is unique with its inbuilt protection against false activations and ‘with protection against fools.’ As far as I understand, we can transfer such a control system as well," Murakhovsky specified, adding that China would probably create the space segment on its own.
Risks for Russia
The assistance to China in creating its national missile attack early warning system poses no threats to Russia, Murakhovsky said.
"It has to be understood that the missile attack early warning system is a passive segment of anti-missile defense and has no offensive capabilities. It is actually an information element that helps detect missile launches, calculate their trajectories and probable places of the fall of warheads," the editor-in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland journal said.
His opinion is shared by Korotchenko: "No matter how our relations may develop, it is already a given fact that China is a nuclear power while the existence of the missile attack early warning system simply reduces the risks of mistakes because it helps to understand clearly who attacks you, whether or not there is an attack and from where, from what country an attack comes," the expert said.
"The missile attack early warning system is a benefit for a nuclear power and a benefit for all the others," he stressed.
US reaction
Editor-in-Chief of the National Defense journal Korotchenko urged the United States to support the construction of the missile attack early warning system in China. "If the US responsibly treats the issues of war and peace, if the US does not wish war, they should simply come up with an official statement and welcome such a decision. This is because this is beneficial and advantageous for all, because the nuclear powers are especially responsible for the destinies of war and peace. The US should approve and support such a decision. But they may also not do that," the expert said.
Speaking about the US possible reaction, Murakhovsky presumed that "they may probably be upset." "On the other hand, there are adequate military specialists there who will also perceive this as an element of strengthening international stability," the expert said.