With the Obama Administration’s new missile defense policy almost one month old and better understood by the members of NATO and Russia, there is hope that the Russians will now engage the US and NATO in constructive talks that yield real results in dealing with the Iranian ballistic missile threat, Alexander Vershbow, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, said Thursday. “Our sense is that the Russians are taking a more objective look and they may be less inclined to throw up political conditions or obstacles to make it difficult,” he told reporters in Washington, D.C. Ellen Tauscher, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, will travel to Moscow next week and missile defense cooperation will be one item on the agenda, said Vershbow. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will then travel to the Russian capitol, he said. Continue
The Pentagon has concluded a new agreement to buy laser-guidance kits that turn rockets into drone-killing weapons. BAE Systems and the Defense Department announced a framework deal of up to seven years for 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits annually for the U.S. military.