|
American Foreign Policy Council, Washington, DC
|
|
MDA MOVES TOWARD TERMINAL PHASE INTERCEPTION The Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency is looking into the feasibility of creating a missile interceptor to destroy ballistic missiles in their terminal phase of flight, the November 20th Aerospace Daily reports. According to the trade newsletter, a Defense Department assessment of the Long-Range Atmospheric Defense system (LRAD) is now underway, and if a feasible concept is developed the system could be fielded by the middle of the next decade. So far, MDA efforts have focused overwhelmingly on boost-phase and midcourse interception. Currently, two programs – the Kinetic Energy Interceptor and the Airborne Laser – are geared toward destroying missiles in their initial ascent phase and one project, the Ground-based Midcourse system, is intended to intercept missiles in mid-flight. But development of a terminal phase interceptor has not yet been attempted – an oversight the Pentagon now hopes to rectify. “Our job is to defend every phase of flight, so we need a defense of terminal,” says Gary Payton, the Missile Defense Agency’s Deputy for Advanced Systems. However, Payton admits, a robust terminal defense is still largely conceptual. With planning still in its initial stages, the LRAD could turn out to be either a more robust version of the Theater High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) currently in development by the Pentagon or an entirely new program. RUSSIAN DEFENSES FOR EUROPE? With warming missile defense ties between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Kremlin officials are expected to soon throw their hat in the ring to coordinate Europe’s emerging anti-missile system. Itar-TASS (November 28) reports that Moscow may offer the advanced “Triumf” theater missile defense to NATO member states in the near future as an alternative to Western systems now being evaluated by the Alliance. Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Chizhov revealed that the missile defense proposal will be put forward at the upcoming meeting of the Russia-NATO Council. While “it is still too early to talk about orders to the industry for the manufacture of S-300 and Triumf anti-aircraft missile defence systems,” Chizhov said, NATO adoption of Russian defenses “is not ruled out.” TOKYO SEEKS JOINT INTERCEPTOR PRODUCTION Facing a mounting threat from North Korea, Japanese officials are approaching a major defense decision. Reuters (November 24) reports that the Japanese Defense Agency is seeking to commence co-production of new interceptor missiles with the United States. Joint production of parts for the advanced interceptors, intended for a missile defense system now under development with Washington, will require revision of Tokyo’s longstanding ban on weapons exports. The topic was reported on the agenda when Japanese Defense Agency chief Shiguru Ishiba met with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Tokyo in late November. DIMMING HOPES FOR GULF DEFENSE Despite growing worries over Iran’s missile and WMD capabilities, plans for an anti-missile umbrella encompassing the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council appear to have stalled. Defense News (December 1) reports that a “conceptual” study regarding regional defense against sophisticated ballistic missiles, originally slated for completion this year, has been pushed back due to the war in Iraq and financial worries among the GCC states. A new study regarding cooperative missile defense is now slated to be drafted at the next GCC summit, which will be held in January or February of next year, according to Maj. Gen. Khaled Al Bu-Ainain, Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense of the United Arab Emirates. In the meantime, two GCC members are moving ahead with missile defense plans of their own. The December 1st Defense News reports that both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have expressed interest in upgrading their existing batteries of the Patriot theater missile defense system to the advanced PAC-3. The decisions apparently reflect positive Patriot performance during Operation Iraqi Freedom this spring, and could provide the United States with a growing role in Gulf defense. |
|
Copyright
© 2003, American Foreign Policy Council.
|
The American
Foreign Policy Council |
|
 |
|
509 C Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Email: afpc@afpc.org Phone: 202-543-1006 Fax: 202-543-1007 |
|
| |
Copyright
© 2006, American Foreign Policy Council. All Rights Reserved. |
| Web Hosting provided by Mosaic Technologies | |