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American Foreign Policy Council, Washington, DC
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PENTAGON PUSHES PAC-3... Citing the continued vulnerability of American troops to ballistic missile attack, U.S. defense officials are considering ramping up production of the “PAC-3” theater missile defense system, the October 31st Washington Post reports. Though a final decision on accelerated production has yet to be made, the Department of Defense is reportedly considering a Congressional request reallocating funds from other missile defense programs to the “PAC-3,” notwithstanding a series of test failures in recent months. The ramped-up production schedule is reportedly being considered in light of a potential campaign against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. ...AS M-THEL HITS THE MARK The BBC (November 5) reports that the U.S. Army’s Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser, or M-THEL, has passed a major milestone. The project, jointly developed by the United States and Israel, has successfully intercepted an artillery shell in flight at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The trial builds on a successful test two years ago, in which the system downed an incoming Katyusha rocket. The M-THEL’s demonstrated capability to intercept high-velocity projectiles “shifts the paradigm for defensive capabilities” by proving the effectiveness of lasers against airborne threats, including ballistic missiles, according to Lt. Gen. Joseph Cosumano, head of the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command. U.S., CANADA FORGE MISSILE DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP Officially, the Canadian government may still be undecided about missile defense. A leading Canadian defense contractor, however, has just enlisted in the Bush administration’s plans for a layered global shield to protect against ballistic missile attack. Canada’s CAE Inc. announced on October 30th that it has signed an agreement with the Boeing Company to cooperate on communications, threat assessments, interceptors and sensors relating to the Pentagon’s planned missile defense initiative, the National Post reported the following day. The partnership is the latest in a series of agreements between U.S. and international defense firms connected to Washington’s efforts to develop an international missile defense architecture. PYONGYANG THREATENS NEW MISSILE TESTS... Amid stalled conciliation talks with Japan, North Korea has warned that it could renege on its self-imposed moratorium on missile testing. In a November 5th statement relayed by the official Korean Central News Agency and picked up by international media sources, the North Korean foreign ministry suggests that Pyongyang is beginning to “reconsider various points related to security” in light of the failed diplomatic process with Tokyo. In particular, according to the foreign ministry, North Korean officials are “of the view that the DPRK should reconsider the moratorium on the missile test-fire in case the talks on normalising the relations between the DPRK and Japan get prolonged without making any progress as was the case with the recent talks.” ...AS TOKYO EDGES TOWARD COOPERATION WITH WASHINGTON Japan, meanwhile, appears to be gravitating towards a deeper bilateral missile defense relationship with the United States. The Japan Times Online (November 6) reports that Shigeru Ishiba, head of Japan’s Defense Agency, told the Japanese House of Representatives Security Committee on November 5th that Tokyo should transition “as soon as possible” beyond the research phase to active missile defense development with the United States. Justifying such participation in light of Japan’s self-defense constitution, Ishiba claimed that missile defenses would be “exclusively for self-defense,” and urged an active debate on the merits of the issue within Japan’s Security Council. MISSILE DEFENSES FOR PAKISTAN? In a development with significant implications for the balance of power in South Asia, the November 5th Hindustan Times reports that Islamabad has commenced talks with Washington regarding the acquisition of advanced American missile defenses. Three systems – the Patriot, the Hawk and the Nike Hercules – are reported to currently be under consideration by Pakistan. Once acquired, the defenses would be deployed to protect Pakistan’s nuclear and missile arsenal. The government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf has reportedly approved over $1.5 billion for the deal. |
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