The United States and its allies would have "no defence" against large numbers of ground-launched cruise missiles of the type recently deployed by Russia, a top US general warned Tuesday. The United States has repeatedly accused Russia of deploying a land-based cruise missile system in contravention of a 1987 US-Russia arms control deal, known as the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF.) General John Hyten, who heads the US military's Strategic Command, told lawmakers that a single ground-launched cruise missile is not a significant threat, but the calculus changes if multiple missiles are launched.
"We have no defence for it, especially in defence of our European allies," Hyten told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "That system can range and threaten most of the continent of Europe depending on where it is deployed. ... It is a concern and we're going to have to figure out how deal with it as a nation."