U.S. CONTEMPLATES SANCTIONS IN CHINA-TURKEY ANTI-MISSILE DEAL...
Turkey's consideration of Chinese-made missile defenses could come at a steep cost for Ankara. U.S. officials have warned that Turkish subcontractors now preparing to partner with the PRC's state-owned China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CPMIEC) could face U.S. sanctions. If Ankara officially approves the Chinese made anti-missile system, developed by CPMIEC, officials in Washington say “Turkish entities involved in the deal will be denied access to U.S. technology” because of CPMIEC's role as a known weapons proliferator. (Defense News, November 19, 2013)
...AS CONGRESS GEARS UP TO PREVENT THE DEAL
Congress, for its part, clearly intends to sink the Turkey-Chinese missile deal. As part of their most recent defense budget compromise, Congressional lawmakers indicated they would deny any funds that would allow the Chinese anti-missile system to function properly with U.S. or NATO equipment. This is a potentially fatal blow to Turkey's missile defense plans, because it would make it virtually impossible for the Chinese-made system to work effectively by preventing full integration with NATO radar and satellites. (Foreign Policy, December 9, 2013)
DOES PROGRESS IN GENEVA NEGATE THE NEED FOR NATO BMD?
Just hours after the P5+1 talks in Geneva concluded with a tentative deal over Iran’s nuclear program, Russian officials attempted to parlay the diplomatic breakthrough into an additional hurdle for European missile defense. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters in Rome that the Geneva agreement negated the need for U.S.-NATO missile defenses. “If the Iran deal is put into practice, the stated reason for the construction of the defense shield will no longer apply,” Lavrov maintained. (The Hill, November 25, 2013)
IRANIAN DIPLOMATS IN GENEVA, IRANIAN MISSILE TECHS IN PYONGYANG
While Iranian diplomats were busy hammering out a political deal with the P5+1 powers in Geneva, their technical counterparts were on a different mission: bolstering cooperation on ballistic missile development with North Korea. The latest joint project being developed by Iranian and North Korean missile scientists is a new, heavy lift space launcher. U.S. officials say the long-range rocket booster could be used to propel nuclear warheads into orbit. (Washington Free Beacon, November 26, 2013)
NEW RUSSIAN MISSILE DEFENSE TO COME ONLINE IN 2015
Russia reportedly plans to field its next generation missile defense system, the S-500, within the next two years. Billed as Russia’s answer to American missile defenses in Europe, the system is expected to be able to defeat aircraft, medium-range ballistic missile and intercontinental ballistic missiles once operational. (Global Security Newswire, Dec. 2, 2013)
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