Ace is absolutely right in calling this a terrorist missile system. Here’s what you’ve got: A missile system capable of being hidden in a seemingly run-of-the-mill shipping container until you’re ready to fire. It could be hidden on a cargo ship and no one would know it’s a missile system until it actually fires.

As Adam Frucci writes, it would be capable of, “turning any merchant ship into a warship able to take out an aircraft carrier.” Which would be perfect for terrorists, keeping in mind Russia is already helping a terror-sponsoring state — Iran — build a nuclear weapon. So Moscow isn’t adverse to arming terrorists.

The promotional video (yes, really) even makes the purpose of this weapon clear. The system is moved, discreetly, from one form of commercial transportation to another. It’s then fired, still from commercial transportation vehicles, at military equipment closely resembling American equipment.

The marketing target clearly isn’t a conventional military but rather terror organizations requiring the use of commercial transportation and secrecy to launch surprise attacks on military — or civilian — targets. Quoth the New York Times:

Potential customers for the formidable Club-K system include Kremlin allies Iran and Venezuela, say defense experts. They worry that countries could pass on the satellite-guided missiles, which are very hard to detect, to terrorist groups.

“At a stroke, the Club-K gives a long-range precision strike capability to ordinary vehicles that can be moved to almost any place on earth without attracting attention,” said Robert Hewson of Jane’s Defense Weekly, who first disclosed its existence.

A promotional video for the Club-K on the website of Moscow-based makers Kontsern-Morinformsistema-Agat shows an imaginary tropical country facing a land, sea and air attack from a hostile neighbor.

It fights back by loading three shipping containers concealing Club-Ks onto a truck, a train and a ship, disperses them, and then launches a devastating strike on its enemy, destroying its warships, tanks and airfields.

“The idea that you can hide a missile system in a box and drive it around without anyone knowing is pretty new,” said Hewson, who is editor of Jane’s Air-Launched Weapons.

“Nobody’s ever done that before.”

To say this is provocative is an understatement, especially if Moscow bites. And yet President Obama will continue cutting missile defense and other defense programs because the Kremlin wants them cut. What I’d give for a president with balls about now.