BACK ON THE GLOBAL AGENDA
Iran’s runaway nuclear ambitions, North Korea’s recent nuclear saber-rattling and ongoing unrest in the Middle East have helped to spark a “global revival” of interest in missile defense, Defense News (week of October 2) reports. Signs of this growing international focus abound; the Bush administration is currently evaluating locations in Eastern Europe for an envisioned third interceptor site, with American spending on missile defense set to break records in the coming year. NATO countries, meanwhile, are showing new interest in erecting “defensive layers” of integrated theater defenses to protect against medium-range missiles. Turkey likewise is showing new signs of attention to ballistic missile defense, recently announcing a $1 billion program to purchase new anti-missile capabilities as protection against potential threats from Iraq and Iran. And in Asia, North Korea’s nuclear brinksmanship is continuing to strengthen the missile defense partnership between the U.S. and Japan.
SEOUL GETS SERIOUS
United Press International (October 3) reports that South Korea has inaugurated a new missile defense command. The new center, which began operations on September 28th, is designed to upgrade the country’s defenses against an increasingly belligerent North Korea with at least 11,000 artillery and rocket tubes within striking distance of Seoul. The move is part of emergency defense spending worth an estimated $150 billion that was authorized by the government of South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun in the wake of the series of ballistic missile tests carried out by the DPRK back in July. The new command, located south of Seoul, will take control of the country’s artillery and ground-to-ground missiles.
TOKYO POISED TO DEPLOY PAC-3
Japan is preparing to bring online its first battery of the U.S. Patriot anti-missile system, the Kyodo news service reported on October 1st. According to the news agency, Tokyo is set to receive its initial shipment of U.S. missile defense equipment in the first part of October, paving the way for the theater defense unit to come “partially online” later this year. The missile defense system, the first in Japanese history, is expected to become fully operational by March of 2007.
POLAND IN THE CROSSHAIRS
Poland’s potential role as a basing location for U.S. missile defenses is creating growing friction between Warsaw and Moscow. Ahead of an upcoming high-level bilateral meeting between cabinet officials from the two countries, a spokesman for Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has told the Interfax news agency (October 3) that Russia is concerned with the system's “negative effect on strategic stability,” and warned that the Kremlin may be forced to take “appropriate measures” should Poland agree to host the defenses. Russia’s anxiety, the official said, stems from its inability to guarantee that the systems would not be “aimed” in its direction.
NEW MISSILE DEFENSE MOMENTUM IN ISRAEL
The military successes of the Hezbollah terrorist organization during the recent war in Lebanon have prompted a new focus on missile defense in Israel. According to Defense News (week of October 2), the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is accelerating funding for the “Kela David” and Short-Range Ballistic Missile Defense programs, with the former predicted to be ready for testing within two years.
These efforts, moreover, are set to receive a boost from the United States. United Press International (October 3) reports that the new defense appropriations bill recently approved by Congress provides $20 million to Israel’s state-controlled Israel Aircraft Industries for work on a short-range missile interceptor. In addition, the U.S. has appropriated an extra $135 million for co-production of Israel’s advanced Arrow anti-missile system.
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