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Russian General Condemns U.S. Missile Defense, Threatens “Retaliatory Measures”

A senior Russian general has stated that Russia would view the deployment of U.S. missile defense components in Eastern and Central Europe as a security threat and would take retaliatory measures. According to Yevgeny Buzhinsky, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s international military cooperation department, “the deployment of missile defense near the Russian borders could pose a real threat to our deterrent forces”—that is, Russia’s offensive nuclear arsenal. Buzhinsky, who published his comments yesterday in the Russian daily Izvestiya, added that “we would view [the deployment] as an unfriendly gesture on behalf of the United States, some eastern European nations, and NATO as a whole. Such actions would require taking adequate retaliatory measures of military and political character.” The Russian general did not elaborate on how Russia would respond to the deployment of U.S. missile defense assets in Poland or the Czech Republic, but warned that “a buildup of military potential near the Russian borders wouldn’t strengthen the European security.” (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Russia, Allies

Baluyevsky Demands BMD Clarification from U.S.

RIA-Novosti reports that General Yuri Baluyevsky, Russia’s Chief of Staff and First Deputy Defense Minister, yesterday demanded that the U.S. must “clarify” its plans for deployment of anti-missile interceptors in Europe. Baluyevsky, a steady critic of U.S. defensive efforts, demanded to know “whether the missile defense system in Europe will be developed jointly with Russia, or whether it will be a segment of the U.S. national system without Russia’s participation.” Baluyevsky previously stated, in an article published by the Polish daily Dziennik on September 6, that “deploying the large-scale U.S. anti-missile shield threatens to spark a new arms race.” (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Russia

Research May Lead to New Hypersonic Warhead Technologies

Air Force Materiel Command reports that an Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate science and engineering team in Arlington, Virginia, is conducting hypersonic research that could lead to new warhead technologies. The team is studying the aerodynamic characteristics of hypersonic projectiles at sea-level conditions, traveling at equal to or greater than five times the speed of sound. Such projectiles normally fly at very high altitudes, and thus many basic questions about hypersonic flight at sea-level conditions have yet to be answered. The Air Force team is currently using highly advanced computational fluid dynamics codes to model hypersonic flows at speeds of around Mach 6. According to Dr. John D. Schmisseur, a program manager at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research which is funding the team, “We’ll be able to hopefully revolutionize some of the analysis tools to help develop new warhead technologies for the warfighter.” (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Technology

Northrop Grumman Demonstrates Strategic Illuminator Laser

Northrop Grumman reports that it has recently demonstrated a next-generation, solid-state laser known as the Strategic Illuminator Laser (SILL), now considered the most powerful continuously pulsed laser ever built. The SILL program, funded by the Missile Defense Agency since 2004, successfully demonstrated multi-kilowatt-class average output power, operating at 5 kHz, with sufficient beam quality for a run time of five minutes.
        Illuminator lasers would be critical components of any high energy weapon system. They would be used in conjunction with tracking sensors to help point the laser weapon at the target, and also in conjunction with wavefront sensors to help clean up distortion in the laser beam caused by the atmosphere and other parts of the weapon’s optical system so that the beam can be focused to a smaller spot at the target. The SILL program is developing a laser that will be significantly smaller and lighter compared with current high-power illuminator systems.  (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Technology, High Energy Defenses

Senator: “We Canadians Need to Defend Ourselves”

Canadian Senator Colin Kenny, chair of the Senate Committee on National Security and Defense, has written an op-ed in the Ottowa Citizen supporting ballistic missile defense cooperation with the U.S. “We Canadians need to defend ourselves,” he writes. “We should take advantage of what the Americans have to offer us in defending North America. We need to do that in our own national interest, not theirs.” Kenny asserts that participating in BMD would offer Canadians a “practical, cost-effective way of defending Canada.”
        Noting that the U.S. system already has the potential to protect hundreds of thousands of Canadians from a rogue attack, he points out that “BMD is the closest we will ever come to a free lunch.” Yet the former Liberal government and the current Conservative government have both shied away from joining the U.S. missile defense program. “It boils down to this,” the Senator writes. “Joining BMD would undoubtedly hurt both parties’ chances of electoral success, particularly in Quebec. … As the arguments against ballistic missile defense fall away, we’re left with plain old anti-Americanism.” (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Canada, Allies

IBD on the “Spirit of Reykjavik”

This week marks the twentieth anniversary of President Ronald Reagan’s bold stand against trading missile defense for an arms treaty, writes Investor’s Business Daily in an editorial entitled “Reykjavik Forever.” In October 1986, during a meeting between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik, Iceland, the Soviet premier unexpectedly offered an unprecedented reduction in nuclear weapons. His price was that the U.S. abandon all but the most rudimentary research on the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), which Reagan had called “a new hope for our children in the 21st century.” According to contemporary accounts, Reagan gathered his papers, stood, and told Gorbachev, “No way.” Criticism and derision followed immediately. U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar compared SDI to France’s disastrous Maginot Line in World War II. In a New York Times op-ed, Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), said “Star Wars is a physical and technological impossibility,” adding that “it is difficult to believe that any other president since World War II would have ignored the opportunity that knocked at Reykjavik.” Claiborne Pell (D-RI), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, lamented, “This is a sad day for mankind.” Yet as Investor’s Business Daily points out, “history proved the critics all wrong—including the scores of scientists who knew so much better than this simpleton who somehow landed in the White House.” In several years, Gorbachev was gone, and the Soviet Union imploded. At the time of Reagan’s death, Gennady Gerasimov, senior Soviet foreign ministry spokesman admitted that SDI had been “a very successful blackmail.”
        As for SDI, Investor’s Business Daily adds that “today, U.S. interceptor missiles that can stop incoming nuclear warheads in space—Teddy Kennedy’s ‘physical and technological impossibility’—are an operational reality.” This is only partially true. The U.S. has deployed the ground-based midcourse defense system in Alaska and California, which recently intercepted a live target missile. Reagan’s vision for strategic defenses, however, has yet to come. The U.S. has not yet deployed the necessary space-based missile defense assets, such as Brilliant Pebbles, capable of targeting and destroying long-range ballistic missiles in mid-trajectory. Most of the U.S., including the East Coast, remains vulnerable to ballistic missile attack, as does the entire homeland from a ship-launched short range ballistic missile against a coastal city. On the twentieth anniversary of Reykjavik, while celebrating Reagan’s bold stand against trading away missile defense, Americans should also ask when the U.S. will implement the former President’s full vision for the strategic defense of the nation.  (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Space-Based Systems, Russia, Policy, Analysis

» Missile system details for: Brilliant Pebbles

Polish Daily: Romania and U.K. Supercede Poland in Missile Defense “Game”

Poland has been superceded by Romania and the United Kingdom in the “game” for a new U.S. missile defense site, writes Eugeniusz Janula in the Polish daily Trybuna. “When one glances at a world atlas,” writes Janula, “there is not the slightest doubt that the most convenient location for an installation of this type is in the region of northern Norway or the U.K.’s Orkney or Shetland Islands.” From these locations, the U.S. could effectively intercept missiles coming in from the Middle East and South Asia, such as from Iran, as well as from the Kola Peninsula where Russia has deployed a considerable portion of its missile arsenal. Yet Norway declined and the U.K. likewise did not show much enthusiasm. So the U.S. began confidential talks with Poland and the Czech Republic. According to Janula, “the Czechs quickly realized that they were not the objective,” since a missile defense base built on their territory would not have “universal application.” In the case of Poland, “the Americans might discuss many things, but they would never consent to any control over such an important base,” and thus “Poland has dropped out of the game.” Janula claims that the U.S. now plans to set up a “small, temporary base with 8-10 semi-stationary launchers” in Romania, which will serve as a purely anti-Iranian installation. More importantly, he writes, the U.K. has revised its stance and will now make the Orkney Islands accessible for a “second base of universal application.” For this, the British will obtain “state-of-the-art nuclear submarine technologies, the naval version of the F-35 plane which will supplant the Harriers on British aircraft carriers, as well as other technological benefits.” (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Russia, Iran, Allies

» Missile system details for: Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD)

Hackett on North Korea, Missile Defense

The Bush administration is handling North Korea’s nuclear brinksmanship “just right,” argues James Hackett in The Washington Times. It has reacted without histrionics, demanded action by the world community, applied a widening circle of economic sanctions, worked with allies to present a united front, and strengthened missiles defenses. Hackett notes that the North Korean test demonstrates “the folly of those who want to delay deployment of [missile] defenses while conducting interminable flight tests.” He argues that the Bush administration should accelerate deployment of additional ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California, Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptors in Japan and South Korea, and ship-based interceptors on U.S. and Japanese Aegis destroyers in the Pacific and Sea of Japan. “The combination of a united front against Pyongyang and the strengthening of missile defenses around the Pacific can keep North Korea isolated while the united front increases sanctions to push the regime toward collapse,” Hackett writes. “It is important to stay the course and ignore those who call for direct negotiations and other concessions.” (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: South Korea, Nuclear Weapons, North Korea, Japan, Analysis

» Missile system details for: Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD), Aegis Ship-Based BMD

Yomiuri Shimbun: New Threat Calls for New Defense Initiative

The Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun suggests that North Korea’s nuclear test will lead to calls for a new Japanese defense initiative, including increased missile defense and perhaps a preemptive strike capability. It notes that North Korea has deployed about 200 No-dong missiles capable of striking most of the Japanese archipelago, and has tested them as recently as July 2006. Although most experts believe that North Korea remains unable to develop nuclear warheads small enough to be carried by these missiles, the Yomiuri Shimbun points out that the relatively small seismic waves observed after the recent nuclear test may indicate that North Korea is trying to decrease the size its nuclear bombs. The paper suggests that calls for the “early development of missile defense” and “ability to attack missile bases in North Korea preemptively” are likely to gain strength in coming months. (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Nuclear Weapons, North Korea, Japan

» Missile details: No-dong 1, NHK-1/2

» Missile system details for: Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense

Ivanov Threatens Poland on U.S. Missile Defense Site

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov yesterday attacked U.S. plans to deploy ballistic missile defense systems in Poland, reports RIA Novosti. “The announced purpose [of the deployment] is the interception of Iranian intercontinental ballistic missiles, which have never existed and will not exist in the near future,” Ivanov said. He added, “I think everyone here understands against whom they [BMD systems] can be used,” meaning Russia. Ivanov said Russia views the U.S. plans as “a destabilizing element and an attempt to shift the strategic balance.” He also noted his “surprise” at Poland’s interest in the project, but attempted to dismiss growing fears that Poland could become a potential target of Russia’s armed forces. (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Russia, Allies

Japan Orders 16 PAC-3 Missiles from U.S.

Japan has ordered sixteen Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptor missiles from the U.S., reports the October 11 issue of Jane’s Defence Weekly. The Pentagon informed Congress of the planned $144 million deal on September 29. The main supplier would be defense contractor Lockheed Martin. The proposed deal follows a similar notification issued in September 2004 involving the sale to Japan of 20 PAC-3 missiles with associated equipment and services valued at up to $79 million. (Link) 

» More stories on: Japan, Allies

» Missile system details for: Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3), Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense

Congressman Duncan Hunter Letter to President Calls for Immediate Programmatic Additions to Missile Defenses

Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, yesterday sent an important letter to President George Bush calling for immediate programmatic additions to U.S. missile defenses. Such systems, he stated, should be “capable of addressing the full range of North Korean missile-based threats to the United States, our deployed forces, and our allies.” First and foremost, the U.S. must “accelerate further the schedule for fielding Aegis ballistic missile defense capabilities,” either solely Standard Missile-3 interceptors or an appropriate combination of both SM-2 and SM-3 interceptors. Second, the U.S. must “maintain an optimal air defense capability on the peninsula” by deploying sufficient numbers of ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) systems. Third, the U.S. must “accelerate the deployment of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities,” focusing on Northeast Asia. Congressman Hunter offered to serve as an advocate in Congress for any reprogramming requests submitted by the White House to carry out these critical national security objectives.

        The Congressman’s recommendations are similar to those put forth by the Independent Working Group in its recent report, Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century, which strongly advocates the expansion of sea-based missile defenses, as well as the strengthening of missile defense collaboration with vital allies such as Japan.

        Full text of Duncan Hunter letter to President Bush: (More »»») 

» Read the 2007 report: The Independent Working Group on Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century (8 MB)

» More stories on: Policy, North Korea, Japan

» Missile system details for: Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3), Aegis Ship-Based BMD

Congressman Trent Franks Calls for Robust Defenses Following North Korean Nuclear Test

Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, yesterday called for robust missile defenses in light of North Korea’s recent nuclear test. “We must learn from Kim Jong Il’s defiance and realize the imminent threat that we face,” the Congressman stated. “We are still without a robust missile defense, our enemies continue searching for ways to destroy our country, and I’m afraid that if a country like Iran acquires these weapons their use would change the face of freedom forever.” Franks pointed out “the fact that much of this could have been handled years ago before North Korea acquired nuclear weapons.” When former President Bill Clinton was faced by the potential of a nuclear North Korea, his administration chose to appease Kim Jong Il with light water reactors and fuel oil shipments. Simultaneously, Clinton vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996, which would have required the deployment of a missile defense system capable of defending all 50 states. Clinton at the time had argued that, “by forcing such an unwarranted deployment decision now, the bill would waste tens of billions of dollars and force [the U.S.] to commit prematurely to a specific technological option.” In his remarks yesterday, Franks reminded Americans that “history is a guide for the wise in order to protect our children and our children’s children. Let us learn from the mistakes of the past. We must strive to understand the mission of our enemy and realize the ominous threat they pose to freedom-loving nations.”
        Full text of Trent Franks press release: (More »»») 

» More stories on: Policy, North Korea

China Purchases Sixteen S-300PMU2 Batteries from Russia

China has purchased sixteen S-300PMU2 batteries from Russia, reports Interfax. The S-300PMU2 air/missile defense missile system has a range of 200 km and is capable of tracking and destroying ballistic missiles. Interfax quotes Vladislav Menshikov, director-general of the Almaz-Antey air defense consortium, the maker of the S-300PMU2, as saying, “We are fulfilling a contract to deliver eight batteries of S-300PMU2 Favorit missile systems to China, after which we’ll switch to another contract of the same size that came into force recently.” (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Russia, Proliferation, China

» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble)

Russia to Conduct Topol Exercises in Mid-October

Interfax reports that the Russian Strategic Missile Troops will conduct major exercises in mid-October. Colonel-General Nikolay Solovtsov, commander of the Strategic Missile Troops, will lead a four-day command-post exercise of the Omsk missile formation, which is armed with SS-25 “Sickle” (RS-12M Topol) and SS-18 “Satan” (RS-20 Voyevoda) intercontinental ballistic missiles. According to a spokesman for the Strategic Missile Troops, regiment subunits will practice the deployment of mobile SS-25 missile systems and perform simulated missile launches. The exercises will involve over 2,000 troops and more than 400 pieces of hardware. In addition, the Barnaul and the Novosibirsk missile formations will conduct an exercise of reserve reconnaissance and security units. (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Russia

» Missile details: SS-N-5, SS-20

North Korea Conducts First Nuclear Test

North Korea today conducted an underground nuclear test, transforming Pyongyang into the world’s newest and most volatile nuclear power. The South Korean government informed U.S. officials that the explosion, registering 3.58 on the Richter scale, took place at 10:36 a.m. local time (1:36 a.m. GMT). Minutes later, North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency announced the test, calling it “a historical event that has brought our military and our people huge joy.” The announcement continued: “The nuclear test was conducted with indigenous wisdom and technology 100 percent. … It will contribute to defending the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the area around it.” Measurements by the Japan Meteorological Agency showed that the test took place around Gilju, on the country’s northeast coast and around 110 km (70 miles) from the Chinese border. The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed a 4.2 magnitude tremor in North Korea at 10:35 a.m. local time. The White House branded the act “provocative” and said it expected the U.N. Security Council to take immediate action. Analysts have said that North Korea probably has enough fissile material to make six to eight nuclear bombs. (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Testing - Foreign, Nuclear Weapons, North Korea

Iran Navy Commander Suggests New Submarines, Missiles

On September 25, the Iranian newspaper Mardom-Salari published an interview with Admiral Sajjad Kuchaki, commander of the Iranian Navy, who stated that “various types of a new generation of Iranian-manufactured submarines will join the Persian Gulf fleet soon, with all kinds of advanced missiles and torpedoes installed on them.” The Admiral did not provide any further specifics about these new submarines, missiles, and torpedoes. He did, however, note that “our underwater units undertake full surveillance of the foreign forces and monitor them from very close distances, less than one or two kilometers,” adding that “our units even passed beneath the American aircraft carrier, but they did not notice.” He warned “any country that intends to start the slightest aggression against our country to get well-informed about the eight-year holy defense experience,” a reference to the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, which resulted in over one million casualties. (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Iran

Israel Developing “Magen Kassum” Rocket Interceptor

Israel Military Industries (IMI) is developing a new defense system against short- and long-range rockets, reports the October 11 edition of Jane’s Defence Weekly. The new system, dubbed Magen Kassum (Magic Shield), will consist of a “light rocket” that, unlike other missile defense systems, will carry no homing device or radar. According to an IMI spokesman, “after receiving data from a variety of available sensors, the rocket will be launched to an optimal interception point against the incoming threat … and will be detonated in proximity to the incoming rocket.” Based on the 160 mm Accurate Light Artillery Rocket (AccuLAR), the Magen Kassum is designed to deal with a broad range of rocket threats, from the Palestinian Qassam, with a range from 9 km, to the Iranian Zelzal, with a range of 200 km. The concept has been presented to Israel’s Ministry of Defence, which is seeking solutions to the growing threat of rockets from Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. (Link) 

» More stories on: Israel, Allies

Sieff: New Japanese Prime Minister an “Enormous Boost” to U.S Missile Defense

Shinzo Abe’s smooth accession as prime minister of Japan will give an enormous boost to the U.S. missile defense program, writes Martin Sieff in the UPI. He notes that “Abe, the handpicked successor of outgoing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, has made very clear he intends not only to stick with his predecessor’s groundbreaking programs on ballistic missile defense cooperation with the United States but even to accelerate them.” The new prime minister has inherited a large treasury and a robust domestic economy, meaning that “the flood of Japanese high-tech orders, especially for co-production of the Patriot, will continue as Koizumi and President George W. Bush anticipated.” In addition, Abe has made it clear that any diplomatic outreach toward Beijing, or anywhere else, “will not come at the expense of crash co-development of a broad range of BMD systems.” For these reasons, Japan will remain America’s most important global ally in the development of missile defense. (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Japan, Analysis, Allies

» Missile system details for: Japanese Ballistic Missile Defense

Canadian Senate Report Endorses U.S. Missile Defense

The Canadian Senate’s Standing Committee on National Security and Defense stated in a major report released Thursday that Canada should become a partner in U.S. ballistic missile defense. The report, entitled Managing Turmoil: The Need to Upgrade Canadian Foreign Aid and Military Strength to Deal with Massive Change, responded directly to the allegations of the Canadian anti-missile defense lobby, which has thus far blocked Canada from joining the U.S. program. “The Committee believes that the lobby against BMD in Canada is based more on emotions than a rational analysis of BMD’s potential benefits to Canada,” the report stated. “An effective BMD system could save hundreds of thousands of Canadian lives. This Government should not make the mistake that the last Government made, by refusing to support the United States in this project.” The report went on to list eleven reasons why Canada should partner with the U.S. in missile defense:

• BMD is designed to enhance the security of North America as a whole—not just the United States—and the defence of the continent is clearly in Canada’s interests.
• The defence of North America—in partnership with the United States—is a Canadian responsibility.
• BMD is designed to respond to an attack by deflecting the attack, rather than by retaliating. Unlike the existing Russian defensive system, BMD will not produce nuclear fallout, because BMD missiles do not have nuclear warheads.
• Canada has not been asked to contribute funds or even offer bases to locate missiles—all we have been asked to do is support the idea and enter into discussions as to how we might best be protected.
• Recent tests against complex targets have proven successful.
• Non-nuclear technology that can shoot down costly weaponry is a deterrent, not an offensive weapon that will cause an arms race.
• Weapons in space are inevitable. Better we prepare for it now than be caught unawares.
• The Americans are going ahead with the program. Participation will ensure our sovereignty by giving us a seat at the table. If we do not participate, Americans alone will decide if and how Canada is protected.
• Canada has been the recipient of information on potential ballistic missile warning threats to North America for more than 30 years. The US is considering moving that function from NORAD to their US-only Strategic Command. Should that move occur, Canada would no longer be assured of receiving such warnings.
• Even if BMD does not work, why should Canada be concerned about something that is being paid for by America to defend the continent?
• Washington is going ahead with BMD and it might end up saving Canadian lives. If there is the tiniest chance that it could, why would we turn up our noses at the opportunity to be a partner in this project?

 (Article, Link) 

» Read the full report by the Canadian Senate Committee

» More stories on: Resources, Canada, Allies

Popovkin on Russian Military Space Revival

In today’s RIA Novosti, Colonel General Vladimir Popovkin, commander of the Russian Space Troops, describes his vision for Russia’s military space revivial. Up to this point, he acknowledges, the Space Troops have spent their time “averting a potential crisis in military space and space missile defenses, stopping the quantitative and qualitative degradation of the orbital constellation and its ground infrastructure, and creating the preconditions for its revival so that it can fulfill its tasks effectively.” Beginning next year, however, the Space Troops will start launching “new types of military spacecraft under test and deployment programs.” Popovkin expounds upon Russia’s reasons for doing so, taking a not-so-subtle swipe at perceived U.S. space ambitions:

Space infrastructure is now increasing its role throughout the world in boosting both the military might and social and economic prosperity of the leading world states. In military matters, space-based systems are the key to information supremacy. They provide more accurate and prompt information about the situation to all troops and weapons systems. Space resources have therefore become a matter of vital interest for the state economically, politically and militarily.

The drive to possess these resources and control their use may in the foreseeable future expand the sphere of military operations and move them to outer space. Russia is against this scenario in principle, and is making every effort to prevent its realization. But we, like most of the space powers, are considering methods of protecting our orbital constellations of spacecraft and space resources against possible discriminatory and restrictive moves. If foreign states develop and deploy space-strike infrastructure, Russia must be ready to take adequate defensive and offensive measures.

 (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Space-Based Systems, Russia

Russia’s Lavrov Discusses U.S. Missile Defense Site with Poland

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Poland’s decision about whether to host a U.S. missile defense site should be “transparent and understandable.” Lavrov spoke to reporters following a meeting with his Polish counterpart, Foreign Minister Anna Fotyga. “We will naturally take [Poland’s actions] into account while planning our own steps in the context of strategic stability and of Russia’s own security,” Lavrov stated. On Tuesday, October 3, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin warned that a U.S. missile defense site in Poland would undermine security and stability, and warned of unspecified measures in response. (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Russia

Ukraine Offers Missile Defense Cooperation to Israel

Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko met with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday, October 3, and offered strategic cooperation in the area of ballistic missile defense systems and satellite control systems. According to Israel Today, Yushchenko told Peres: “We will be very glad to cooperate with Israeli scientists and developers in the area of missiles and satellites. Development of advanced technological weaponry could be the basis for further strategic cooperation between the two countries.” The Ukrainian president added that he is planning to visit Israel at the beginning of November with a delegation of business leaders from his country. (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Israel, Former Soviet Republics

Congress Boosts Funding For Arrow, SRBMD Programs

Congress voted to increase funding for two joint U.S.-Israeli ballistic missile defense programs on September 29, reports Jane’s Defence Weekly. The Arrow weapon system, jointly produced by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Boeing, received a $127 million budget for fiscal year 2007, $3 million more than last year’s funding and $40 million more than the Bush administration requested from Congress. Of the $127 million, $63 million is allocated for the production of the Arrow 2 interceptor, and $64 million for the development of the Arrow 2 Block 3 and Block 4 upgraded versions. The system consists of high-altitude interceptors that are capable of shooting down ballistic missiles in the stratosphere during their final descent phase. Currently deployed, Arrow is Israel’s primary defense against intermediate-range Iranian missiles that could carry nuclear warheads.
        In addition to its funding for Arrow, Congress approved $25 million for a feasibility study of a short-range ballistic missile defense (SRBMD) initiative currently being conducted by Israel’s Rafael Armament Development Authority and Raytheon. The two companies are designing a new interceptor, known as “Stunner” in the U.S. and “Kela David” in Israel. The program was initiated following the recent Lebanon war, during which Hezbollah fired over 4,000 short-range Katyusha rockets into northern Israel. Israel’s cost requirement was initially $100,000 per interceptor, although industry sources estimate the Stunner will cost around $300,000. The new SRBMD initiative is seeking to build a smaller, cheaper interceptor not exceeding $30,000, with a range of 40-200 km. Sources indicate, however, that the system will not be ready for deployment until 2011 at the earliest.
        The Stunner technology, Jane’s reports, is based on “next-generation Rafael Python dual-wave imaging infra-red air-to-air missile technology and advanced low-cost Raytheon tactical missile technology, combined with a radar being developed by Israel Aircraft Industries’ Elta Systems.”  (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Israel, Budget, Allies

» Missile system details for: Arrow

MDA Promotes Head of Ground-Based Midcourse Defense

The Missile Defense Agency has recently promoted the head of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program to the agency’s number two position. Since mid-2005, Brigadier General Patrick O’Reilly has managed the GMD program as it struggled to get back on track following several test failures in late 2004 and 2005, when interceptor missiles failed to leave their silos. On September 1, 2006, the system successfully intercepted a test-target missile, winning O’Reilly praise from Capitol Hill for his focus and professionalism. He is slated to take up the Missile Defense Agency deputy post in January 2007, but will continue his role as program manager of GMD for the time being. (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Policy

» Missile system details for: Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD), Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI)

North Korea Vows Nuclear Test

North Korea said today that it will soon conduct its first-ever nuclear test, reports Reuters. According to a statement from North Korea’s foreign ministry, which was broadcast on the official KCNA news agency, “the U.S. extreme threat of a nuclear war and sanctions and pressure compel the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] to conduct a nuclear test, an essential process for bolstering nuclear deterrent, as a corresponding measure for defense.” The statement added, however, that North Korea would never be the first to use nuclear weapons, and would “do its utmost to realize the denuclearization of the peninsula and give impetus to the world-wide nuclear disarmament and the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons.” Analysts say that North Korea probably has enough fissile material to produce six to eight nuclear bombs, but does not yet have the technology to make one small enough to mount on a long range ballistic missile. (Article, Link) 

» More stories on: Testing - Foreign, Nuclear Weapons, North Korea

Russia Warns Poland Against Hosting U.S. or NATO Missile Defense Site

Russia today warned Poland against hosting a U.S. or NATO missile defense site on its territory, reports Interfax. Speaking before the start of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s official visit to Poland, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin was quoted as saying, “We regard negatively U.S. plans to deploy anti-missile defense system in Europe, and we believe that with the possible deployment of the European NATO missile defense system it would have a negative impact on strategic stability, regional security and intergovernmental relations.” Kamynin added that “a new situation like this one will objectively require us to take appropriate measures because we cannot rely in such matters solely on statements that the missile defense systems of the U.S. and NATO in Europe ‘are not aimed’ against Russia.” Kamynin did not say what measures Russia might take in response, but the military chief of staff, Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, warned in a Polish newspaper last month that “deploying the large-scale U.S. anti-missile shield threatens to spark a new arms race.” U.S. officials have said that the site would be designed to defend Europe against intercontinental-range ballistic missiles launched by rogue states such as Iran or North Korea. (Article, Link) 

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Feulner on U.S.-Japanese “Special Relationship”

Ed Feulner, president of the Heritage Foundation, argues persuasively that the U.S. must establish a “special relationship” with Japan, as it has with Britain. The U.S. and Japan share similar goals vis-à-vis Asia, including the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula, maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait, and ensuring the security of global energy supplies. In addition, Japan sits on the front lines of virtually any future showdown in Asia. “Take North Korea’s recent missile launches,” writes Feulner. “If those missiles worked, they could potentially reach American shores. But Japan knows North Korea could attack it at any time. And while Japan knows it can count on U.S. support, having its own skilled military could help deter North Korean aggression.” Japan also could serve as a check on China, which is rising economically and militarily. “Together, Tokyo and Washington can help China integrate into the world as a responsible stakeholder in the existing international system and eventually even move toward a democratic system of government,” suggests Feulner.
        Regarding ballistic missile defense, the “special relationship” between the U.S. and Japan is already well underway. In December 2004, the two nations signed an agreement allowing for extensive missile defense cooperation, including the mutual transfer of related technologies. In December 2005, Japan announced that it would pay one third to one half of the cost of the joint missile defense shield, $1-1.5 billion of the estimated $3 billion total cost. Shortly thereafter, U.S. State Department released an official statement that Japan had become the U.S.’s most significant missile defense partner. Japan is currently working with the U.S. to develop and deploy the Aegis sea-based missile defense system, which features Standard Missile-3 interceptor missiles deployed on Aegis-equipped cruisers and destroyers; as well as Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptors; and tracking sensors.  (Article, Link) 

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