Russian Objections to Missile Defense System

[Kagemusha]

Military specialists already have serious doubts whether the missile shield can protect targets from the hypersonic missiles that Russia has been successfully testing since 2004, so in the end, this might just be another starwars program, which will only be money tossed away. If the missile shield would be deployed to protect Europe from possible strike from Iran, im sure there would be better places then Poland to deploy it.
In the end, i think the main beef with Russia is that it doesnt want the advanced radar installations which will be part of the missile shield, so close to its borders. To me this doesnt sound like US is trying to protect Europe from Iran, rather then US wants to have an forward installation near Russia, which would be good for observation for example.

[The Black Ship]

These missles are intended to intercept their target in the mid-course region, either in space or as the target re-enters the atmosphere. They are not intended to shot down their target in the boost phase. Closer proximity to the region of the world where "rogue states" proliferate is not necessary. In fact such proximity could possibly degrade intercept probablity due to reduced guidance solution processing time.

As for the Russians, well they were the only ones that deployed an ABM system (around Moscow as per the ABM treaty) since the US decided to abandon the Spartan ABM soon after testing in the early 70s. It seems silly to believe they are so scared by 10 missles and an X-band radar site, especially as the interceptor missles aren't configure or designed to handle ICBMs. Even if all ten hit an incoming target that would still leave some 99.9% of Russian missle-tipped nukes free to devastate wherever they're fired at. 10 successful Iranian missles intercepts, however, would surely eliminate the threat from THAT particulat delivery method.

This is a tempest in a tea-pot, and I believe the issues being used to validate increased Russian defense expenditure, both in strategic weapons and conventional. Not to mention it plays well at home.