PRAGUE BOWS OUT
Nearly two years after the Obama administration officially revamped its predecessor's plans for missile defenses in Europe, the Czech Republic has officially announced that it will not take part in a U.S.-led anti-missile shield on the Continent. The Associated Press (June 15) reports that Prague's decision stems from the diminished role it would play under the "phased adaptive approach" now being pursued by the Obama administration. Under the Bush White House, the Czech Republic - along with Poland - figured prominently as a base for early warning radars and interceptors. By contrast, under the current Obama plan, Prague has been relegated to a marginal role, apparently as a result of Russian lobbying. It is one in which the Czech government has little interest; “Our ideas about the future cooperation are more colorful than just a room of two with some screens there,” Defense Minister Alexander Vondra told reporters following a meeting in Prague with U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn.
RIYADH EYES SEA-BASED DEFENSES
Amid deepening regional worries over Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is moving toward the acquisition of American sea-based defenses. In its June 13th edition, Defense News reports that – following a late-May briefing by the U.S. Navy - the House of Saud is now seriously considering acquiring a number of new Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyers with missile defense capabilities as part of its defense efforts. Riyadh, which has long considered buying U.S. made littoral combat ships, is currently in the midst of a major defense upgrade, making such acquisitions feasible. Washington, for its part, is eager for Saudi Arabia to acquire capabilities that could potentially supplement its own. “If the Saudis always have one [Aegis ship] in the Gulf, it makes it easier for the U.S. Navy to meet its commitments in the region,” one retired senior naval officer tells the trade weekly.
INDIA EYES BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE...
India is seeking comprehensive ballistic missile defense. The Press Trust of India reported on June 3rd that Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony had tasked the country's defense research agency, the DRDO, with spearheading a drive to build a "credible" indigenous ballistic missile system capable of countering incoming ballistic missile threats. “The interceptor missile defence programme has taken India into the elite club of nations that possess the capability to demonstrate this technology," Antony told government scientists in New Delhi. "DRDO should now concentrate on developing a credible ballistic missile defence for the country.”
...AND OFFENSE
New Delhi, however, isn't focusing just on defense. Spurred by worries over China, the Indian government is planning a test of its new variant of the Agni missile. The two-stage rocket already boasts a range of 3,500 kilometers, but the Times of India (June 4) reports that the extended range nuclear-capable "Agni-V," which will be tested in December, will be able to strike targets more than 5,000 kilometers away. Such a capability, the paper notes, "would even bring China's northernmost regions within its nuclear strike envelope if it is ever required."
THE SEEPAGE FROM LIBYA'S ARSENAL
Israeli officials are raising the alarm over an unexpected side-effect of the civil war now raging in Libya: the proliferation of weaponry to the Palestinian Territories. The Ma'an news agency reported on June 10th that Israeli officials believe the Gadhafi regime - currently fighting a bloody conflict with rebel forces while weathering NATO bombardment - now has loosened its grip on its military arsenal, with disastrous results. In recent weeks, the news agency reports, citing Israeli media sources, "hundreds of Grad rockets with ranges of 60 - 70 kilometers had been smuggled into Gaza... strengthening Hamas and posing a serious threat to Israel."
STUMBLING TOWARD "EARLY INTERCEPT"
The Obama administration's "phased adaptive approach" to missile defense is rubbing up against some harsh realities. The centerpiece of the strategy is the development of an "early intercept" capability against enemy missiles by the year 2020 - defined by current Missile Defense Agency head Patrick O'Reilly as occurring "before apogee" and "before deploying its payload." But Aviation Week (June 13) reports that a task force review of missile defense capabilities now being carried out by the Pentagon's elite Defense Science Board is casting doubt on whether "early intercept" can be achieved with the program's current resources and within the time allotted. The magazine notes, however, that the findings of the panel, chaired by former BMDO director Lester Lyles and former CENTCOM commander William "Fox" Fallon, are still notional, with the formal report due out only this fall.
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