AEGIS REACHES SOLID GROUND...
Much to Moscow’s dismay, another component of the emerging European missile defense shield has been green-lighted. The Aegis Ashore program, which takes sea-based missiles outfitted on Aegis cruisers and adapts them for land-based use, will be deployed in Romania in 2015 and Poland by 2018. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly, Director of the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency, has explained the rationale for the move. According to him, the program “has the longest range of our regional systems, so it adds a layer of missile defense to the land that otherwise we’d be relying on for [Theater High-Altitude Area Defense]... with Aegis Ashore and THAAD and Patriot and other regional systems, we are able to achieve that multilayered effect with a very dedicated and persistent presence of the Aegis system.” (Washington Times, April 18, 2012)
...AS RUSSIA UPS THE ANTE
Recently, in response to U.S. and allied missile defense plans, Russia has announced the deployment of its road mobile S-400 missile defense system in the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad. Now, Moscow appears to be preparing to go a step further. Russian discussions with NATO to either jointly produce or scrap the European missile shield altogether so far have been unsuccessful, and Moscow is threatening to upgrade its ballistic missiles with more advanced warheads if the talks fail. Russian Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Nikolai Makarov has warned, “a decision to use destructive force pre-emptively will be taken if the situation worsens." (BBC, May 3, 2012)
A NEW FOCUS ON GROUND-BASED DEFENSES
Ongoing worries over Iran's strategic capabilities has renewed Congressional attention to U.S. ground-based missile defense capabilities. To this end, the forthcoming defense authorization bill in Congress may include a request - inserted by Republicans in the House Armed Services Committee - to establish a third U.S. missile interceptor site on the East Coast by 2015. The draft bill states, "The committee is aware that a cost effective missile defense site located on the East Coast of the United States could have advantages for the defense of the United States from ballistic missiles launched from the Middle East." Although the HASC believes the third site is necessary to help counter missile originating from Iran, it’s not clear that the Obama administration or the Democrat- controlled Senate will back the idea. New York’s Fort Drum is a leading candidate for the third site, but regardless of the location the HASC will require an environmental impact review of the plan from the Secretary of Defense. (Reuters, April 25, 2012)
INDIA AUGMENTS MISSILE SYSTEMS...
New Delhi has successfully launched an indigenously-developed long-range intercontinental ballistic missile. Known as the "Agni-V," the new ICBM is capable of traveling over 3,100 miles carrying a nuclear payload and is road mobile. The launch was significant because India now joins the five known nations able to launch long-range missiles.
As members of India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) are quick to point out, the launch success also indicates the Indian government can rapidly develop an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon. By combining a “kill vehicle” with the Agni-V propulsion system, the new weapon would be able to counter threats inside and outside the atmosphere. DRDO chief V K Saraswat has stated that, “apart from adding a new dimension to our strategic defence, it has ushered in fantastic opportunities in, say, building ASAT weapons and launching mini/micro satellites on demand.” Formally, however, Delhi has not green lighted an ASAT program, and Saraswat has been quick to reiterate that “India does not believe in weaponization of space.” (Reuters, April 18, 2012; The Times of India, April 21, 2012)
...AND EVOKES A REACTION FROM ISLAMABAD
Just days after the Indian missile test, Pakistan has responded with the launch of an improved intermediate- range nuclear-capable missile of its own. Pakistani military officials claim their missile launch was to “further strengthen and consolidate deterrence capabilities,” and deny the launch was prompted by India’s missile test. Reportedly, the improved Pakistani missile contains a warhead capable of avoiding missile defense systems and has a range of to 620 miles. (New York Times, April 25, 2012)
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