🚀 go-pugleaf

> >>An article in the Oct. 28 _Wall Street Journal_ describes how Pratt 
> >>& Whitney announced an agreement to market NPO Energomash's (said 
> >>to be Russia's leading rocked designer) engines in the U.S.
> >
> >That is good news. Does this mean RD-170's will be available?

Another angle on this is that it means less space hardware up for 
sale to the Third World.  Cases in point: 1) Slovakian tanks to 
Syria; 2) Russian submarines to Iran; 3) that Russia plans (or 
had planned) to give India a $200 million credit for launchers, 
to go with their nice shiny peaceful-uses-only Bomb.

Better the Russians find a market for such hardware in the 
West than it be for sale in the international arms bazaar.  
There's only a few "responsible" buyers for their aerospace 
hardware, and we is one.

Can anyone on the group provide some informed commentary 
on how (or whether!) arms proliferation policy ties into 
policy on foreign-launcher buys ?

[An obvious retort is, "Tell the Russians to stop making the stuff!". 
 Good idea, so write a nice letter to the Russian Prattski & WhitMASH 
 asking them politely to put themselves out of business, or convert 
 to making three-stage liquid-fueled toasters.]

fred :: baube@optiplan.fi