USA offers Aegis offshore inspections to Russians

Transparency to reduce tensions in Ukraine.

To ease tensions over Russia's military build-up in Ukraine, NATO and US negotiators have offered Moscow the opportunity to inspect two ballistic missile defence sites to prove that the alliance has not deployed offensive missiles. (marineforum reported several times).

In return for an insight into the Aegis Ashore sites in Romania and Poland, Moscow is expected to offer similar transparency for two ground-based missile bases selected by the US. The US clarifies that no Tomahawk land-based missiles are deployed. Both sites have the same aerial reconnaissance radar and Mk-41 vertical launch system as the US destroyers and can technically deploy a variety of missiles. However, the US has insisted that the Aegis Ashore sites only deploy Standard Missile 3 interceptors for BMD defence against Iranian missiles. Moscow, on the other hand, has stated that the sites threaten Russian security.

Source: USNI 22