Defence and strategy

Petr SUCHÝ

The text focuses on the changes of Russian and American strategic nuclear arsenals after the end of the Cold War. Current state of Russian strategic forces is subsequently confronted with the present and future capability of U. S. ballistic missile defense system. The text aims to point out that worries of Russian ofcials that the system presents clear danger for Russia and its existence will lead to the weakening or demise of strategic stability are completely false and unfounded. It also makes the point that current modernization of the Russian strategic nuclear weapons and their carriers is more a sign of attempts to preserve the status quo within the arms dynamic, rather than a clear symptom of a direct reaction to American activities in the realm of missile defense that would resemble a process of arms race.