#6 - RW 260
KOKOSHIN: RUSSIA MUST COMPLEMENT ITS NUCLEAR DETERRENCE POLICY WITH "SYSTEMS OF PRE-NUCLEAR DETERRENCE"

MOSCOW, June 4, 2003. /from a RIA Novosti correspondent/ -- Russia must complement its nuclear deterrence policy with "systems of pre-nuclear deterrence", believes State Duma deputy Andrei Kokoshin, chairman of the United Russia party's National Security Commission.

According to Kokoshin, "the system of pre-nuclear deterrence" could be based on high-precision weapons with common equipment.

"Russia has a very good potential of high-precision weapons with common equipment which can destroy a broad class of missiles, if necessary," he said Wednesday at a RIA Novosti press conference.

According to him, Russia has a space navigation system determining the efficiency of the use of high-precision weapons and many other components which are of a higher quality than their American counterparts.

Kokoshin believes Russia must retain its nuclear triad, that is ground, air and naval forces.

"Each component has weak points, but as a whole they yield a very powerful strategic effect and increase the incertitude of a nuclear strike," he said.

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