Fire Destroys Missiles at Base Near Moscow

Fire Destroys Missiles at Base Near Moscow
By Ron Popeski

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A fire in one of Russia's S-300 air defense missile systems outside Moscow on Friday destroyed three launchers and a dozen missiles but no one was injured, Russian news reports quoted military officials as saying.

The reports, quoting air force officials, said the fire broke out at 9:30 a.m. near Ramenskoye, southeast of the capital, while the missiles were in a horizontal position and in a protective covering.

The S-300, Russia's equivalent of the U.S. patriot missile, is intended to destroy fast-moving bombers and cruise missiles. It enjoys a reputation as one of Russia's most reliable weapons systems and has been sold to a number of countries.

U.S. officials have suggested they might purchase the system as part of efforts to persuade Russia to join it in efforts to build an anti-missile defense system.

Amateur video footage shot by a resident and broadcast on RTR state television showed a large cloud of smoke billowing high over a forest. The television quoted officials as saying the fire erupted during an equipment check and blazed for three hours before being extinguished.

``A fire broke out in one of the launch systems. As a result, three launch systems were destroyed as well as the corresponding set of missiles,'' Gennady Vasilyev, Air Force and Air Defense commander in Moscow region, told RTR.

NTV television quoted eyewitnesses as saying there had been explosions and debris was hurled up to a half-mile from the base. It showed large chunks of jagged metal found in the forest.

News reports said 12 missiles were destroyed and blamed the accident on a short circuit in one of the missiles.

NO ACCIDENTAL LAUNCH OR INJURIES

An Air Force statement issued in the evening said: ``There was no accidental launch. There are no injuries...There was no damage in the village. Neither residents nor servicemen were evacuated.''

Two women village residents told NTV television they had heard a series of explosions and saw a cloud rise over the area.

``There were two small explosions and then a big one which blew our windows out,'' one of the unidentified women said. ``My husband and son went out to see what was happening. Then there was panic and we ran off.''

A woman resident told RTR: ``It was just dreadful, as though war had broken out.''

Vasilyev told NTV he could draw no conclusions about the accounts pending an investigation.

Russia's cash-strapped military has been beset by a number of mishaps upsetting its operations recently. Contact was lost with four military satellites last month after a fire ravaged a major relay station south of Moscow.

NTV suggested the accident could hurt Russian efforts to boost military exports.

``Some experts suggest this could undermine confidence among Western customers for the system,'' the station said. ``The S-300 generally heads any shopping list for military hardware.''

Russia's own counter-proposal for a European anti-missile system would rely on tactical missiles -- unlike President Bush's proposal focusing on strategic missiles.

But Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has said the S-300 is unsuitable for use in anti-missile defense.



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