The Daily Beast: McCain accused another Republican of financing Putin

“US Senator John McCain wants to end US dependence on Russian rocket engines for flights to low-Earth orbit,” The Daily Beast notes. Some Republicans object that McCain's demand is technically impossible, but the senator is not inclined to listen to such arguments, writes journalist Tim Mack.

“Hundreds of millions of dollars of American taxpayer money could be spent on the purchase of Russian rocket engines if the US Congress nevertheless approves a short section sneakily included in the annual defense budget resolution,” the article says.

McCain indignantly claims that this will benefit "Vladimir Putin's cronies" and accuses his party comrade of trying to ensure the flow of money into Moscow. “But in reality, Russian engines may not be replaceable, at least in the near future,” the correspondent writes.

Previously, McCain demanded, starting in 2019, a ban on the purchase of Russian RD-180 engines, which are used by the Americans to launch Pentagon and US intelligence vehicles into orbit.

“How could anyone ever think that we would voluntarily remain dependent on Russian rocket engines whose trail leads to a corrupt mafia surrounded by Vladimir Putin?” - McCain asked in an interview with the publication.

The alleged campaign against the ban proposed by McCain is being led by Republican Senator Richard Shelby, head of the Senate Committee on Banks. Shelby refused to answer journalists why he supported the purchase of Russian engines.

The American consortium United Launch Alliance, which uses Russian engines, is a major employer in Alabama, the state from which Shelby was elected, continues Tim Mack. In 2013-2014, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which jointly manage the United Launch Alliance, donated nearly $160 to Shelby's campaign and political action committee.

The American Atlas V rocket, the workhorse used for most US military satellite launches, is based on the RD-180.

McCain in his bill sets a deadline for the development of a new American rocket engine - until 2019. The Air Force counters that the deadline is unrealistic.

“Every technician I consulted with said it couldn't be done in a year, and it couldn't be done in two or three years,” Deborah Lee James, the U.S. Air Force secretary, said in February. “It should take six years, maybe seven, to develop the engine, and then another year or two to integrate it.” James added that she is not sure whether the goal will be met by 2019.

The author of the article comments: concern over the topic of Russian engines has turned into something like an indirect duel between two competing companies - United Launch Alliance and Elon Musk's SpaceX.

The United Launch Alliance states that a ban on Russian engines will put it at a disadvantage compared to SpaceX. And this company says that right now it can fulfill government requirements for launching rockets.

There is currently a debate about how many more Russian RD-180s could be purchased for use by the US government.

United Launch Alliance says it needs to use at least 14 engines. The two versions of the US defense budget differ on this issue: the House of Representatives allows all 14, and the Senate allows no more than 9.

Meanwhile, the Senate defense appropriations bill "buries a provision that appears to have been designed to derail McCain's efforts," the article said. The draft states that bids from at least two companies must be considered for Air Force space launch tenders in 2016. In reality, there are only two potential competitors, and if United Launch Alliance fails to submit a bid, the launch program could collapse.

The language "gives a private company the power to derail the Air Force's launch program—namely, to block the program by refusing to submit bids," the unnamed industry source said.

According to the correspondent, if the United Launch Alliance does not obtain permission to use and purchase Russian engines, it can undermine the conclusion of the contract with SpaceX.

McCain called this section of the ruling "outrageous."