Moscow selling aircraft carrier killers

Moscow is boasting of its sales of advanced warships, capable of
sinking an aircraft carrier along with its escort vessels, and forecasts
that the ships "will be particularly in demand" in two of the world's
most volatile trouble spots -- the Asia Pacific region and the Middle
East, according to official Russian sources.

Using the name "Scorpion," this class of vessel, says Moscow, is part
of a "new generation of ships aided by the use of stealth technology,"
and has the ability to fire a missile that can "eliminate an aircraft
carrier and its escort ships. ... Missiles of this kind have no analogue
anywhere in the world," and no known defense, according to the
broadcast.

TRENDING: Is this what you voted for, America?

Moscow's statements were carried by the Voice of Russia World
Service, the official broadcasting service of the Russian government.

The "Scorpion," according to Moscow, is also capable of further
technological upgrades in its weaponry. The ship is described as
capable of 40 knots with an operating range of 2,000 miles, and is
equipped with "a 100-mm artillery unit and an anti-aircraft artillery
complex." The ship carries "supersonic anti-ship missiles" with a range
of nearly 200 miles.

Moscow's "forecasts" that the ship "will be particularly in demand in
the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East," could indicate trouble
ahead for U.S. foreign and defense policies heavily dependent upon the
aircraft carrier for the protection of U.S. allies and national
interests.

Customers for the "Scorpion" include traditional Russian partners
Iran, India, and China.

Moscow has stated that India and China are at "the center of Russia's
defense cooperation plans," while Russia maintains close commercial and
technological ties with Iran.

India is a traditional ally of Moscow, a major purchaser of Russian
weaponry and a "strategic partner" of Russia. Hindu India continues a
tense peace with its Moslem neighbor, Pakistan. Both are nuclear
powers.

China is not only a "strategic partner" with Russia, but has united
with Moscow in striving for a "New World Order" and a "multi-polar"
world in opposition to purported claims of U.S. world dominance.

China is also locked in a potentially explosive dispute with the
island of Taiwan, a traditional friend of the United States.

Beijing claims Taiwan as a breakaway province and threatens to attack
if the island does not voluntarily submit to its rule. Taiwan, which
also refers to itself as the Republic of China, is the remnant of the
Chinese government driven off the mainland by the communists in 1949 and
maintains a separate identity from Beijing.

Advances in Chinese defense technological capability are coming at a
time that the Clinton administration opposes further assistance to
Taiwan. In the past, the U.S. used aircraft carriers to support Taiwan
when the island came under imminent threat from the mainland. Such
carrier aid to Taiwan is now increasingly vulnerable.

Iran stands as a close friend of Moscow and is often hostile to the
U.S. The eastern half of the strategically vital Persian Gulf is
controlled by Iran; the Gulf narrows at the Strait of Hormuz. Much of
the world's oil travels through this strait and traditional friends of
the U.S. border on the Gulf, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates. The United States fought a significant part of
the Gulf War from aircraft carriers stationed in the area.