Page 66 - The Lord's Vengeance Of His Temple2018-05
P. 66

THE LORD HAS OPENED HIS ARMOURY

Instead of closer ties, Russia under President Vladimir Putin, an ex-KGB intelligence officer who has said he
wants to restore elements of Russia’s Soviet communist past, has adopted growing hardline policies against
the United States.

Of the submarine activity, Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee,
said, “It’s a confounding situation arising from a lack of leadership in our dealings with Moscow. While the

president is touting our supposed ‘reset’ in relations with Russia, Vladimir Putin is actively working
against American interests, whether it’s in Syria or here in our own backyard.”

In June, Russian strategic nuclear bombers and support aircraft conducted a large-scale nucle-
ar bomber exercise in the arctic. The exercise included simulated strikes on “enemy” strate-
gic sites that defense officials say likely included notional attacks on U.S. missile defenses in
Alaska. Under the terms of the 2010 New START arms accord, such exercises require 14-day advanced notice

of strategic bomber drills, and notification after the drills end. No such notification was given.

A second, alarming air incursion took place July 4 on the West Coast when a Bear  Russian forces
H strategic bomber flew into U.S. airspace near California and was met by U.S.    would consider
interceptor jets. That incursion was said to have been a bomber incursion that
has not been seen since before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.                  preemptive

It could not be learned whether the submarine in the Gulf of Mexico was an Akula attacks on U.S.

1 type submarine or a more advanced Akula 2. It is also not known why the subma-

rine conducted the operation. Theories among U.S. analysts include the notion and allied mis-

that submarine incursion was designed to further signal Russian displeas-         sile defenses in
ure at U.S. and NATO plans to deploy missile defenses in Europe.

Russia’s chief of the general staff, Gen. Nikolai Makarov, said in May            Europe

that Russian forces would consider preemptive attacks on U.S. and allied missile defenses in

Europe, and claimed the defenses are destabilizing in a crisis. Makarov met with Army Gen. Martin Dempsey,

chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in July. Dempsey questioned him about the Russian strategic bomber

flights near U.S. territory.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow’s military is working to set up naval replenishment facili-
ties in Vietnam and Cuba, but denied there were plans to base naval forces in those states. ……….

Russian warships and support vessels were sent to Venezuela in 2008 to take part in naval exercises in a show
of Russian support for the leftist regime of Hugo Chavez. The ships also stopped in Cuba.

Russian Deputy Premier Dmitri Rogozin announced in February that Russia was working on a plan to build 10
new attack submarines and 10 new missile submarines through 2030, along with new aircraft carriers. Sub-
marine warfare specialists say the Akula remains the core of the Russian attack submarine force.

The submarines can fire both cruise missiles and torpedoes, and are equipped with the SSN-21 and SSN-27
submarine-launched cruise missiles, as well as SSN-15 anti-submarine-warfare missiles. The submarines also
can lay mines. The SSN-21 has a range of up to 1,860 miles.

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