Britain, Poland Considered for Additional BMD Interceptor Sites
May 7, 2004 :: News
Britain and Poland are two countries under consideration for a Europe-based site for an additional ten ground-based interceptors, reports the London based Evening Standard. The report cites a recent Janes Defense Weekly as saying that while Poland has already offered to host the interceptors, one should not “count out” the Brits.
Poland’s offer notwithstanding, the location of such interceptors in such proximity to Russia would seem to make that location doubtful. (Article, Link)
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Japan-U.S. Joint Test in 2005
May 6, 2004 :: Kyodo :: News
Japan and the United States are planning to conduct their first joint flight test in the second half of 2005 for sea-based missile interceptors. A second flight test would follow in 2006. (Article, Link)
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New Arrow II Missile Interceptors
May 4, 2004 :: Defense News :: News
A joint project between Boeing and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has begun to begin producing new missile interceptors for Israel’s Arrow II ballistic missile defense program. New deliveries are due in Israel by the end of 2004, where they will be assembled.
Arieh Herzog, director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization, responded to criticisms about the threat posed to Israel, by noting that the threat from missiles will never quite return to nothing:
Obviously, events of the past year have brought us good news in terms of a diminished number of countries that can threaten Israel with ballistic missiles. But we have to remember that nothing moves backward. As long as the Americans are in Iraq, the threat is checked. But if the Americans leave, we don’t know what kind of regime will be there. Without American supervision, the Iraqi ballistic missile program and its capabilities could be quickly reconstituted.
(Article, Link)
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» Missile system details for: Arrow
Fylingdales Radar Revamp Begins
April 13, 2004 :: BBC :: News
Work has begun on the upgrades for Britain’s Royal Air Force radar station at Fylingdales, to better incorporate it into the American missile defense system. The technological upgrades include faster computers and related systems. The radar system will be an important part of the detection and tracking of potential missile launches. (Article, Link)
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Senator Introduces Legislation to Aide International Cooperation for Missile Defense
March 29, 2004 :: News
Senator Wayne Allard plans ot introduce legislation to ease restrictions on the cooperation of would-be allies in missile defense such as Japan and Australia, reports the Aviation Week & Space Technology. The legislation would tie the international cooperation procedures with the preexisting Missile Technology Control Regime, of 33 countries, to expedite transfers of defense technology to such countries who have already pledged not to transfer it to others. (Article, Link)
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European Missile Warning Satellites
March 8, 2004 :: Reuters :: News
While not purusing active missile defenses, France may be waking up to the need for such systems. Alcatel Space, a subsidiary of the French communications company Alcatel, appears to be now set to build missile early warning satellites for the European space company, EADS, according to Reuters. The contract is for the Systeme Preparatoire Infra-Rouge pur l’Alerte (SPIRALE) project, meaning infra-red early alert system. The two satellites could be launched in 2008.
Update: The March issue of Janes Missiles and Rockets confirms the report by Reuters. (Link)
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Aegis Sale to Taiwan Initially Approved
March 8, 2004 :: Inside the Ring (Washington Times) :: News
In the weekly Inside the Ring, Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough note that the Pentagon has now for the first time approved the sale of the Aegis cruiser battle-management systems, which include the sea-based missile defense program.
As noted here, the Aegis system includes a large phased-array radar with a range to track objects of some hundreds of miles, and include satellites in space. The Aegis is described as the “core” of the sea-based missile defense system, now set to be deployed for the defense of America in 2005.
The approved sale comes less than two weeks before the March 20 referendum in Taiwan over whether missile defenses are the right response to the nearby Chinese missile buildup. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Allies, Policy, Sea-Based Systems, Taiwan
» Missile system details for: Aegis Ship-Based BMD
Asst. Sec. of State: Pakistan BMD May Promote Regional Stability
February 21, 2004 :: Pak Tribune :: News
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Stephen Rademaker has said that Pakistani missile defense may, “in certain circumstances…contribute to regional stability.” Rademaker added that the “United States was ready to discuss the issue with Pakistan.”
In one sense, the truth of this statement is obvious. Missile defenses, properly balanced and carefully managed, could be a means by which to ease the nuclear missile standoff between Pakistan and India. All the difficulty would lie, of course, in the transfer from a sort of policy of mutually assured destruction to one of mutually assured defense: where defensive systems overcome offensive ones. In another sense, limited missile defenses may be used to level the current offensive strategic balance between the two rival countries. In general, however, the United States would probably do well to promote missile defenses the world over. All that can be done to undermine and destroy the perceived intrinsic superiority of offensive nuclear weapons to defensive ones is likely to be efforts well directed. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Allies, Pakistan
Polish-US Missile Cooperation
January 28, 2004 :: SpaceDaily :: News
The future of missile defense continues to gain strength internationally. Lockheed Martin and the Polish firm, Telecommunication Industrial Institute (PIT), today signed a letter of intent pledging cooperation in missile defense-related radar technology. The significance of such contracts is that Europe, long reluctant to missile defense because it was more comfortable being protected by the US nuclear arsenal, is coming around to both the need to defend itself and the importance of missile defense in a world of wide proliferation.
Update: The February 11 edition of Jane’s Defence Weekly noted that this agreement involves lesser, tactical, programs, than a more comprehensive one with Boeing which previously stalled. (Article, Link)
» Lockheed Martin press release
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French Missile Defense?
January 28, 2004 :: News
France may complain of America’s unilateralism, efforts to defend ourselves from ballistic missiles, and of American recklessness as regards the sacred strategic stability—but sometimes France’s actions belie such complaints. Aviation Week & Space Technology reports that France has recently awarded a $156 million contract to Astrium to build a prototype early-warning satellite system, which will be part of a program to deploy a theater missile defense system within 10 years. (Link)
» NTI: European contracts for missile defense
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