"Alejandro Magno" wrote in message
om...
Russia is actually much closer to developing an effective
anti-ballistic missile defense system than the United States.

The USSR fielded an ABM system around Moscow in
the 1970's

Russia's
latest S-400 surface-to-air missile system is currently in its final
stage of testing and is due to enter service in 2001-2002. The S-400
is the only SAM system in the world that has been designed from the
very start with anti-ballistic missile capability in mind.

Hogwash.

Both the US Sprint and Spartan missiles and the Soviet Galosh systems of the
70's
were designed for the ABM role.


Development
of such systems became possible following the 1997 correction to the
1972 ABM treaty accepted by the US and Russia during negotiations in
New York. The correction made a more accurate distinction between
strategic and non-strategic ABM defenses. While the S-400, its
predecessor - the S-300 and its anti-ballistic adaptation designated
"Antey" - are unmatched by any other long-range SAM system in the
world, there is already the S-500 in the final stages of development.

In fact the S-400 is a development of the S-300PMU and
its deployment has been deferred until 2005 due to development
problems and lack of funds

S-500 appears to be little more than a paper exercise at this point

Successful export of S-300 systems made Russian SAM manufacturers
highly productive and competitive. In addition, when the ABM treaty
was modified to allow only one ABM system for each the USSR and
America, the USSR deployed a limited ABM system to protect its
capital, Moscow.


No amendment happened or was necessary, the ABM treaty always
allowed one such system for each country

I note you lifted this article in its entirety from a
web page without acknowledging the attribution
Let me correct this

http://www.area51zone.com/abm/index4.shtml

Keith