Interceptor Installed at Vandenberg
December 13, 2004 :: The Lompoc Record :: News
On December 10, a 55-foot long Ground Based Interceptor was lowered into an underground silo at Vandenberg Air Force, in California, the first of two to be deployed at VAFB this year. The installation is the first in the continental United States—six are already emplaced at Fort Greely, in Alaska. (Article, Link)
» Dec. 12: Lompoc Record: Karako on missile defense
» MDA press release on VAFB installation
» More stories on: Deployment, Land-Based Systems
» Missile system details for: Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI), Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD), Vandenberg Air Force Base
Sixth Interceptor in Place: First Phase of Deployment Complete
November 12, 2004 :: The Missile Defense Agency :: News
A sixth ballistic missile interceptor was yesterday installed in its silo at Fort Greely, Alaska. The interceptor is the last of those to be installed in 2004. An additional eight to ten will be emplaced in 2005, for a total of 14-16. Two interceptors are still due to be installed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California this year. The limited ground based midcourse defense system has yet to be declared operational, but such an announcement is expected before the end of the year. (Link)
» MDA press release on installation of 6th interceptor
» More stories on: Deployment, Land-Based Systems
» Missile system details for: Fort Greely, Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI), Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD)
General: Reliable BMD May be Years Out
October 26, 2004 :: Inside Defense :: News
The October 21 edition of Inside the Pentagon includes a story on the delayed deployment of the Alaska and California ground-based midcourse defense (GMD) system.
The article also discusses the likely operational capability of the system after formal “deployment.” Of particular interest is a quote from a Marine Corps General James Cartwright, Strategic Command chief. Cartwright suggests that even when the system comes on-line, it could be years before an adequate chain-of-command is established, to permit the timely firing of interceptors. The command chain would apparently be similar to that which required for the use of nuclear weapons. The relevant excerpt:
For a period of several more years, the initial system’s capabilities will be tentative, at best, Cartwright conceded in an Oct. 6 interview with ITP. In a real attack, a missile intercept using the fledgling defenses would require what Cartwright calls “the alignment of three consecutive miracles,” when “I happen to have the system on, I happen to have it in a configuration that it could be fired, and maybe I’ve got some percentage chance in confidence that I’ve gotten all the way through all the protocols—probably not.”
To be clear, such command level problems do not constitute any reason to further delay deployment. If it will take some time to work out details, or conduct further testing, this should be done sooner rather than later. And it would be better to have a missile defense system “on” half the time, rather than never. At the same time, it seems patently absurd that such problems should require years to solve. If true, however, Cartwright’s bleak assessment of our operational capability signals a substantial failure of bureaucracy. (Link)
» More stories on: Deployment, Policy
» Missile system details for: Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD)
Rademaker: Deployment “Within Weeks”
October 6, 2004 :: The Moscow Times :: News
Stephen G. Rademaker, assistant secretary of state for arms control, recently commented that the ballistic missile interceptors in Alaska are expected to enter service in the “nearest weeks,” according to a report by the Russian Interfax news agency. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Deployment
Spring on Long Awaited Deployment
October 4, 2004 :: The Heritage Foundation :: Analysis
Baker Spring of the Heritage Foundation writes on the exciting time for missile defense efforts, with the expected deployment in the coming weeks.
This great victory for the American people—and make no mistake, it is a historic achievement and means the federal government will have begun to meet its obligation to defend us to the best of its ability—comes not a moment too soon. The weapons arrayed against us now may not be as potentially destructive or as numerous as during the Cold War, but the threat of a highly destructive missile attack on the U.S. mainland is almost certainly higher
(Article, Link)
» More stories on: Deployment
Hackett: “Dawn of a New Era”
October 1, 2004 :: Washington Times :: Analysis
James T. Hackett has a fine article in today’s Washington Times on the expected operational deployment of ground based interceptors in Alaska in the coming days. Today, October 1, is the 29th anniversary of the only previous operational missile defenses in America, the nuclear tipped “Spartan” and “Sprint” interceptors briefly stationed at Grand Forks, North Dakota in 1975, to defend the Minuteman ICBM field located there.
Hackett also reminds us that it was Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts who led the successful charge to close the base shortly after it was deployed, which it was, by February of 1976. If Senator Kerry is elected as president, history could well repeat itself, with the Alaska system in one manner or another being taken offline shortly after his inauguration. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Analysis, Deployment
Fourth Interceptor Now in Place
September 24, 2004 :: News
On Wednesday, September 22, the Missile Defense Agency put in place the fourth of six Ground-based Midcourse Defense missile interceptors scheduled to be installed this year. The other two are expected sometime in October. The third interceptor was emplaced only a few days before, on September 18. (Article, Link)
» MDA press release
» More stories on: Deployment, Land-Based Systems
» Missile system details for: Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI), Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD)
Third Interceptor in Place at Fort Greely, Alaska
September 18, 2004 :: News
The third of six interceptors scheduled to be deployed at Fort Greely, Alaska by the end of this year has now been emplaced in its launch silo on September 15. Two other interceptors will be fielded at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California by the end of the year. (Article, Link)
» MDA release
» More stories on: Deployment, Land-Based Systems
» Missile system details for: Fort Greely, Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD)
Patriot Interceptors to go to Kwangju, South Korea
September 16, 2004 :: News
The 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade from Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas are now working to relocate to the South Korean city of Gwang-Ju (Kwangju) where they will man the new Patriot missile defense interceptors being deployed there, to defend against attacks from the North. The interceptors are said to be deployed at both the Kwangju Airport an airport in nearby Yosu, and a seaport in Kwangyang. The troops’ redeployment is said to be complete sometime in November. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Allies, Deployment
» Missile system details for: Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)
Second Interceptor Installed at Fort Greely
September 10, 2004 :: News
The Missile Defense Agency installed the second Ground-based interceptor in an underground silo at Fort Greely this past week, according to the September 10 edition of Aerospace Daily and Defense Report. The first interceptor was “emplaced” on July 22, and the third is expected to be installed “probably within the next 10 days or so,” according to an MDA spokesman.
Update: An MDA press release reports that a total of six interceptors will be emplaced by October, as well as two more at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California by the end of the year. (Link)
» MDA on second and future emplacements
» More stories on: Deployment, Land-Based Systems
» Missile system details for: Fort Greely, Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI), Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD)
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