Iskander-E, Russian guided ballistic missile with a range of 280 km.
http://gdb.rferl.org/863CF091-196B-4AB6-AC01-A516286D288C_mw800_mh600.jpg

No, de-escalation of the European shield is not considered a weakness for the USA, instead is an American trust sign for Russia no to follow the escalation of the nuclear treat inherited by Obama from the Bush administration. On the contrary, it will encourage Russians to impose sanctions against Iran. But some experts think this may have been a slap in the face for the previous conservative governments in Poland and Czech Republic who gambled on the US shield proposal. Some other said more radically, that this is an offense to Angela Merkel, Germany´s chancellor.

US President Barack Obama has recently scrapped his predecessor's plans for the missile defense shield in Eastern Europe. Most Europeans and specially the Germans, hope the move will encourage Russia to back tougher sanctions against Iran. While some praise the decision as hopeful and brave, others declared it naive and dangerous.

What ever the case, Barak Obama would shelve the controversial Czech and Polish missile defense shield he inherited from George W. Bush. Now Russian president Dmitry Medveded has follow suit, and declared that he too will pull out the plans for an Iskander-E missile shield projected for the Kaliningrad Baltic region and targeted at Poland.

The change on the posture will eventually turn the issue regarding Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and perhaps convince Russia to support possibly sanctions against Iran. Obama's move to shelve the missile shield plan has caused euphoria, but there is no indication that Russia will harden its position with Iran and it is not known what will America gain in return for sacrificing their missile shield.

Barak Obama and Dmitry Medvedev.
http://www.spiegel.de/images/image-15600-galleryV9-wsgg.jpg
Source(s):
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,649886,00.html

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