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U.S. military reliance on Russian rocket raises security fears
Alternatives sought for satellite program as Ukraine aggression strains relations
The Washington Times
Jeffrey Scott Shapiro
9/2/2014
Excerpt:
The rising tensions with Russia over its aggression in Ukraine is creating national security concerns inside the Pentagon, where the military’s largest satellite program is reliant on a rocket engine produced by Moscow.
The Air Force said it has begun looking for alternatives to the RD-180 rocket engines for its Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program — the fourth largest line item in the U.S. defense budget — now that Russia has threatened to cut off the technology in its tit-for-tat struggle with the U.S.
Lawmakers and national security analysts said they were aghast that the military allowed itself to become so dependent on Russian military technology during an era of uneasy relations.
“What were we thinking? It’s clear now that relying on Russia for rocket engines was a policy based on hope, not good judgment,” said Michael V. Hayden, a four-star Air Force general who headed the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency before his retirement in 2009.
The Air Force started launching national security satellites with Russian-made rocket engines in 2000 during a time of warming relations under President Clinton. Washington and Moscow cooperated in the post-Soviet era on peaceful projects such as the International Space Station.
Relations began to sour near the end of George W. Bush’s presidency, especially after Russia invaded neighboring Georgia in 2008, raising speculation of a new Cold War era.
But the Air Force has been slow to abandon the Russian engine, critics say.
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View the complete article, including video, at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...ket-engines-r/
Alternatives sought for satellite program as Ukraine aggression strains relations
The Washington Times
Jeffrey Scott Shapiro
9/2/2014
Excerpt:
The rising tensions with Russia over its aggression in Ukraine is creating national security concerns inside the Pentagon, where the military’s largest satellite program is reliant on a rocket engine produced by Moscow.
The Air Force said it has begun looking for alternatives to the RD-180 rocket engines for its Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program — the fourth largest line item in the U.S. defense budget — now that Russia has threatened to cut off the technology in its tit-for-tat struggle with the U.S.
Lawmakers and national security analysts said they were aghast that the military allowed itself to become so dependent on Russian military technology during an era of uneasy relations.
“What were we thinking? It’s clear now that relying on Russia for rocket engines was a policy based on hope, not good judgment,” said Michael V. Hayden, a four-star Air Force general who headed the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency before his retirement in 2009.
The Air Force started launching national security satellites with Russian-made rocket engines in 2000 during a time of warming relations under President Clinton. Washington and Moscow cooperated in the post-Soviet era on peaceful projects such as the International Space Station.
Relations began to sour near the end of George W. Bush’s presidency, especially after Russia invaded neighboring Georgia in 2008, raising speculation of a new Cold War era.
But the Air Force has been slow to abandon the Russian engine, critics say.
.............................................
View the complete article, including video, at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...ket-engines-r/