I would like to write to you regarding joint U S.-Russian program RAMOS. The Conceptual Design Review of this program was conducted in January 1998 with participation of DOD (BMDO) representatives. The program jointly developed and presented by the Russian and American joint team was very positively received by the group of experts participating in the review. In our opinion, this research two-satellite program of stereoscopic imaging has very significant scientific value for further development of space based early warning systems in the U.S. (SBIRS) and Russia. Apart from scientific and technical merit RAMOS has even more important political significance. I took four years of a very intense effort before all branches of power in Russia believed in the possibility of implementation of the RAMOS program as a joint effort with the United States in a very sensitive area of military cooperation on antimissile defonse. As a result of this effort the program was supported by the Ministry of Defonse of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government organizations. The President of the Russian Federation and the Prime Minister issued special decision decrees on implementation of the two-satellite RAMOS program. The danger of not funding RAMOS by the Department of Defense and the U.S. Congress caused very serious concerns on the Russian side, because this work was always viewed by both sides as a possibility to start and further develop joint efforts in security and strategic stability. Substitution of a two-satellite program by the restructured RAMOS, proposed by BMDO is, in our opinion, incorrect from both technical and political standpoints. Taking into account all this, we are asking for your support in making a decision to implement the two-satellite RAMOS program, approved by the government of the Russian Federation. We also feel that it is important to mention, that the joint RAMOS team which consists of Russian and American specialists in the area of space based early warning systems, the |