May 11, 2006 :: AP :: News
NATO experts released a 10,000-page report yesterday warning of a mounting threat of missile strikes against allied nations, and urged governments to consider plans for developing missile defenses in Europe. Marshall Billingslea, NATO’s assistant secretary general for defense investment, told reporters that the 26-nation alliance could build an effective network of sensors and interceptors to shoot down incoming missiles without over-stretching defense budgets. NATO leaders are expected to discuss the prospects of building such a defense at a November summit in Riga, Latvia. NATO is already working to develop a multimillion-euro defense system designed to provide battlefield protection to troops threatened with missile attack. The system is expected to be fully operational by 2012.
It was also announced yesterday that Russia and NATO will conduct joint theater missile defense exercises in October. According to General Yury Baluyevsky, Russian Army Chief of Staff, “This is one of the areas where we see concrete results that satisfy both Russia and NATO.” Last year, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov spoke at a session of the Russia-NATO Council, where he stressed the need to boost cooperation between Russia and NATO in the theater missile defense area.
» Voice of America: NATO Official on missile threat to Europe; defenses said feasible
» More stories on: Allies, European Missile Defenses, Russia, Testing - Russia/NATO
