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Links to Air and Missile Defense Articles From News Media Websites.

Thursday
15 April 2010

Allegations Arise Of Threats Made By Top Fort Bliss Command
(KFOXTV.com)
Some soldiers and their families have had to live in deplorable conditions at Fort Bliss, dealing with black mold, lead paint and asbestos affecting the health of them and their children. Now there are allegations of threats and intimidation by top commanders if soldiers and their families spoke out about the problems.

Aerostats: Military Testing High-Tech Dirigibles
 (Huffington Post)
The skies over the Utah desert are becoming the test site for a new fleet of hulking high-tech dirigibles. One of the unmanned balloons – a 242-foot-long craft known as an aerostat – was launched Wednesday morning about 80 miles west of Salt Lake City. The U.S. military is hoping the Aerostats will provide battlefield commanders a bird's-eye view of cruise missiles and other threats.

Lockheed Gets $424M Bump on Missile Defense Work
(Washington Technology)
Lockheed Martin has won a $424 million contract modification from the Defense Department to continue building a key component of the national ballistic missile defense system. Under the contract modification, Lockheed Martin will continue with overall integration of the command, control, battle management and communications portion of the missile defense system focusing on adding more sensors and weapons systems, company officials said today.

Securing Senate Votes to Ratify Treaty is No Sure Thing
(Politico)
Most Republicans have questions about the administration’s nuclear agenda that they want answered before they’ll vote yes. That means debate over the START treaty is likely to become the battleground for policy differences on matters of missile defense, nuclear modernization and a new generation of bombers.

US Military Testing High-Tech Dirigibles in Utah
(The Associated Press)
The skies over the Utah desert are becoming the test site for a new fleet of hulking high-tech dirigibles the U.S. military is hoping will provide battlefield commanders a bird's-eye view of cruise missiles and other threats.

India Delivering Sub-Sonic Cruise Missile
(UPI.com)
V. K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defense Minister and the head of the Defense Research and Development Organization, made a case for deploying space-based object recognition sensors to keep tabs on adversaries and generally gather military intelligence. This is especially essential for tracking and detection of troop movements and without the sensors India's ballistic missile defense system wouldn't be the "potent weapon" it should be.

Scuds For Hizballah Change The Game
(Basil & Spice)
According to senior Israeli officials, including President Shimon Peres, Syria has provided Scud missiles to Hizballah in Lebanon. If true, this represents a major change in the military situation in the region and provides Hizballah with the capability to strike targets virtually anywhere in Israel.

Army Preparing for Mountainous, Battalion-Sized Test
(United States Army - Press Release)
The U.S. Army is planning a rigorous, large-scale Limited User Test, or LUT, of its Increment 1 Early Brigade Combat Team technologies at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., later this year. The evaluation will test robots, sensors, UAVs and a battlefield network in Afghan-like mountainous terrain.

Raytheon-Boeing Team Validates Joint Air-to-Ground Missile Seeker During Captive Flight Test
(PR Newswire -
Press Release)
Raytheon Company and The Boeing Company completed a second series of captive flight tests for the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile competition.

Wednesday
14 April2010

Team Bliss's UAV
(War On Terror News)
During World War II, the Air Defense Artillery Center of Excellence at Fort Bliss, Texas, used radio controlled planes as anti-aircraft artillery targets. Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, also out of Fort Bliss, have carried on with the rich history of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Missile Defense and the Prague Treaty
(ArmsControlWonk.com)
 There have been erroneous claims that the Prague Treaty counts the five Minuteman III silos at Vandenberg that were converted for missile defense missions and that “the launchers themselves probably will be eliminated. That is incorrect. The passage from the treaty clearly notes that the provision does not apply to launchers previously converted. (Nor, obviously, would it apply to new missile-defense launchers in Alaska or Poland.)

Launch Complex Loses Missile Defense
(Kodiak Daily Mirror)
The Alaska Aerospace Corporation is looking for new customers to launch rockets from its Kodiak Launch Complex as it prepares to lose business from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, its most valuable customer.

He's a Dreamer, He's a Realist
(Wall Street Journal)
Amid those historic arms-control battles, those of us who supported missile defense and cruise missiles argued that the Russians' goal in these agreements was to shut down superior U.S. technologies.

Why America's Survival As a Free Country Is At
(FOXNews)
For his part, Gingrich strongly supports a beefed up defense capacity, including a serious plan for missile defense to protect America and its allies.

May: Obama Doctrine Carries Shrinking Stick?
 (Scripps News)
Defense is being diminished as well. Take missile defense: Vice President Joe Biden said last week: "Because of advances in conventional capabilities and technologies such as missile defense, we need fewer nuclear weapons to deter adversaries ..." And Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said on NBC's Meet the Press last weekend that the U.S. needs "more missile defense."

NATO Chief Calls Again for Missile Defense Cooperation with Russia
(RIA Novosti)
Anders Fogh Rasmussen , NATO's Secretary-General reiterated on Wednesday his call for closer cooperation with Russia on the issue of the European missile defense. Calling it “a security roof that will give real security to our people."

The "New START" Treaty: Did the Russians Have Their Fingers Crossed?
 (Heritage.org)
Based on their statements, it would appear that the Russians believe that the New START treaty is as much about missile defense as it is about strategic arms reduction.

Airship Makes Maiden Flight in Utah
(Deseret News)
The Army's Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System, or JLENS, made its first test flight from about 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday above the Air Force's Utah Test and Training Range north of the U.S. Army's Dugway Proving Ground.

US Military Testing High-Tech Dirigibles in Utah
(The Associated Press)
The U.S. military has begun testing massive high-tech dirigibles — designed to provide battlefield commanders with a bird's-eye view of cruise missiles or other threats — in the skies over the Utah desert. Known as aerostats, the dirigibles are outfitted with radar and communications systems to provide long-range surveillance targeting threats from aircraft, ballistic and cruise missiles.

New Air Defense Systems to Take Part in Moscow's VE-Day Parade
(RIA Novosti)
Russia's new short-range gun and missile air defense systems will take part in a Victory Day parade on Red Square in Moscow.

DM Praises Iran's
Missile Power
(Fars News Agency)
Iran announced on Sunday that the country has built the first home-made mid-range missile defense system named as 'Mersad'. Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi praised the capabilities of Iran's missile industries, citing a CIA report that the country is now even able to export Ballistic missiles to the other countries.

Czech Republic Can Join Missile Warning System
(Focus News)
American President Barak Obama wants to work out a new architecture of anti-missile defense, which will be mobile, able to react to threats more flexible and in which NATO will take part.

Inviting War
Against America
(American Spectator)
In an editorial on April 9, Investors Business Daily adds: Obama has already gutted U.S. missile defense, cancelling deployment of additional ground-based interceptors at Fort Greely in Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. He has also canceled ready-to-deploy missile defenses such as the Air Force's Airborne Laser program, which destroys enemy missiles in their vulnerable boost phase.

Barak: Hezbollah Scuds Undermine Stability (Ynetnews)
The transfer of Scud missiles from Syria to Hezbollah "undermines the balance of power and threatens regional stability and calm," Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

James Carafano: Obama Pushing US into Iran Fight
(NewsMax.com)
"The problem is that most of our strategy that he’s implementing is increasing the likelihood of proliferation. Cutting missile defense makes you more vulnerable, which makes nuclear weapons more attractive. Declaring that you’re not going to modernize is a less credible deterrent.”

Jettisoning Money
(The Battalion – the Voice of Texas A&M)
For centuries the edges gained in warfare were technological. Although tactics were certainly important, they were more standardized across the board and the army with the advantage was the one with bigger cannons, more accurate firearms and the most soldiers. The arms race of the Cold War was largely upended by the prospect of extending missile defense to the cosmos — an initiative too costly for the Soviets.

Tuesday
13 April 2010

Senate Approves TRICARE Legislation
(GovExec.com)
The Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill that explicitly states service members, military retirees and their families will not have to purchase additional health insurance under the new health reform law.

Edge of Deterrence
(The Cutting Edge)
The Department of Defense released its Ballistic Missile Defense Review Report (BMDRR) on February 1, 2010, laying out America's long-term policy on ballistic missile defense.

Iran 1 Year or More from Nuclear Weapon
(FOXNews-Blog)
The ranking U.S. General in the Middle East jokingly referred to Iran's leader, President Ahmadinejad, as a top recruiting officer for US Central Command. Each time Ahmadinejad steps up to the podium, it sends ripples through the rest of the Arab world. “These ripples have prompted Arab allies to interact with Central Command in ways previously not seen,” Petraeus said. Just last month, for example, Secretary Gates visited Saudi Arabia and Oman to discuss more comprehensive missile defense systems within their borders, directed at Iran.

Mark Davis: All Obama Has Done is Weaken Our Nuclear Stances
(Dallas Morning News)
A well-armed police force makes criminals think twice about committing crimes. A well-armed America makes global tyrants and terrorists think twice about plying their dark will. Is no one alarmed that modern-day Russia still bristles at missile defense? After years of complaining about our plans to protect two U.S. allies that were once Soviet satellite states, Moscow enjoyed the satisfaction last year of seeing President Barack Obama yank the rug from beneath Poland and the Czech Republic.

Bulgaria Wants Part in US European Defense Shield
(Novinite.com)
The country's position on plans to deploy US interceptor missiles on Bulgarian soil was presented by Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, during the meeting of US President, Barack Obama, with leaders from Central and Eastern Europe in Prague on April 8. “The question about Bulgaria's support for a new US missile defense system in Europe has not been officially posed, but when this happens, the Parliament will have the final say,” Borisov told Obama, stressing that Bulgaria must be the active partner.

Air Force Official: US Strategy Undermined by Vulnerability of Fuel Supplies
(National Defense Magazine - Blog)
The Air Force still expects the Army’s missile-defense units to help safeguard bases from enemy ballistic and cruise missiles. Oliver Fritz, the Air Force’s Assistant Director of Strategic Planning says the Air Force worries that there may not be enough Patriot anti-missile systems to protect bases in the future. “Are we making clear that this is a requirement for the future projection of military power?” he asks. “Are we vocal enough? This is not just protecting the Air Force, but a node for joint power projection."

Iran Talks Big on Missile Capabilities
(UPI.com)
Hot on the heels of unveiling its first indigenous short-range, air-defense missile system, Tehran asserts that it will manufacture advanced Russian S-300 missiles itself if Moscow persists in not delivering weapons Iran ordered in December 2005.

GOP Says Treaty Might Imperil Missile Defense
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
House Republicans plan to press military officials this week on the status of U.S. plans to base missile defenses in Europe and whether the latest nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia threatens the program from moving forward.

Iran to Build Long-Range Missile Defense System
(Fars News Agency)
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi unveiled his ministry's plans to produce long-range air defense missiles in a bid to strengthen the country's defensive capability against potential enemy attacks.

UPI News Track Top News
(UPI.com)
Russia's president says he might withdraw from the recently signed U.S.-Russia nuclear disarmament treaty if U.S. missile plans in Europe create "imbalance." Speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America" Monday, Dmitry Medvedev said American missile defense plans in Europe could conflict with language in the START treaty stating there is an "interconnection between the strategic offensive arms and missile defense."

The Bear is Back
(New York Post)
The first step was abandoning our democratic Eastern European allies, including Poland, that had defied Putin by agreeing to host US missile-defense systems in their countries: Obama dropped the plan because it offended the Russians. This was followed a week ago by the START treaty that locks us into permanent nuclear decline while Russia is free to modernize its nukes and even build its own missile-defense shield.

Nuclear Bombs, Terrorists, Ronald Reagan: Security Goals and History
(Politics Daily - Blog)
Just to make sure the Kremlin understood he'd be a hard bargainer, Reagan added: "Simple-minded appeasement or wishful thinking about our adversaries is folly. It means the betrayal of our past, the squandering of our freedom.'' But Reagan also carried a copy of a letter he'd privately written to Gorbachev earlier that summer, raising the idea of completely eliminating nuclear weapons and putting the security of the superpowers in missile defenses. (George P. Shultz, Reagan's dour secretary of state, wrote later he'd been unable to talk Reagan out of the idea of complete nuclear disarmament.)

Air Defense: Another Iranian Triumph
(Strategy Page)
Iran announced that it has developed a new anti-aircraft missile system, based on the half century old American Hawk system. The U.S. sold Iran Hawk systems in the 1970s, and Iran has tried to keep these in service ever since. It is believed that Iran obtained key components for their new missile system from China. Iran says it is manufacturing and deploying their new system.

Transcript: George Stephanopoulos Interviews Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
(ABC News)
And the-- the issue of missile defense still seems to divide the United States and Russia. And I just have a very-- simple question. If the United States continues to develop missile defense in Europe, will Russia withdraw from the START treaty?

China, Russia Against Iran Energy Sanctions
(Arab Times)
The ABC interview was conducted on Friday, a day after Medvedev and Obama signed a nuclear arms reduction treaty in Prague. During the interview, Medvedev warned that he could walk away from a nuclear disarmament treaty if a US missile defense program in Europe creates an imbalance. Medvedev said former Cold War foes Russia and the United States negotiated specific language in the preamble of the new START treaty he signed last week with US President Barack Obama.

Monday
12 April 2010

Failure To Launch
(Forbes)
It is useful to remember that Russia, together with China, has long lobbied for limits--either overt or implicit--on America's missile defense plans.

A Pole Apart
(Investor's Business Daily)
Lech Kaczynski was a Polish patriot and a friend of the West who believed in the defense of freedom and democracy and we treated him shabbily. In a Polish press statement about a post-election call, Kaczynski is reported to have been told by Obama "that the missile defense project would continue." It did not. This was a slap in the face of a man who was committed to the plan even if it meant offending a Russia that both militarily and economically could do Poland harm.

US Says Iranian Bomb Not Inevitable
(NTDTV)
Robert Gates, U.S Defense Secretary said, “At the end of the day what has to happen is the Iranian government has to decide that its own security is better served by not having nuclear weapons, than by having them. And it’s a combination of economic pressures; it's a combination of more missile defense, and cooperation in the Gulf to show them that any attack, we can defend against."

Air Strikes on Iran by US and Israel Unacceptable: Russia
(Times of India)
"Any air strike against Iran by the United States or Israel would be unacceptable. This is a last resort that exists in the plans of both the United States and Israel," the chief of Russian General Staff Nikolai Makarov said.

Obama's Nuclear Strategy and the Russian Resurgence
(Huffington Post - Blog)
First, Medvedev called for an American/Russian partnership in the development of a global ballistic missile defense system. Then he said that the just-signed treaty will be nullified if U.S. ballistic missile defense development appears aimed at Russia.

Aegis Upgrade Tracks Live Targets
(Philadelphia Inquirer)
Lockheed Martin Corporation said Monday it identified and tracked live targets for the first time using a new signal processor that combines Aegis ballistic missile defense and anti-air warfare capabilities.

Poland's Acting President Reassures Nation in Mourning
(Washington Post)
Poland's interim president, Bronislaw Komorowski, reassured his countrymen Monday that the government continues to function despite the airplane crash that killed President Lech Kaczynski and a number of senior officials, stunning Warsaw's political elite and plunging the nation into a remarkable display of national mourning. Poland has dispatched 2,200 soldiers to Afghanistan, for instance, and has announced plans to send several hundred more. Moreover, it had agreed to host anti-missile installations and U.S. forces under the Bush administration's missile defense plan, since modified by President Obama.

Planned US Missile Defense in Europe Might Induce Arms Race
(CRIENGLISH.com)
The US plans, to deploy missile defense elements in Europe might induce an arms race, said Chief of Staff of Russia's armed forces Nikolay Makarov on Monday.

Iran Starts to Produce New Missile System
(CCTV)
Iran has started production of an advanced air defense missile system. And a large number will be delivered to the country's armed forces this year.

How Does the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty Undermine America's National Security
(Gather.com)
It is absolutely imperative that a new START agreement not undermine our post-Cold War defensive posture by linking offensive weapons with missile defense. Reports indicate that the treaty does exactly that. While a White House press statement claims that the treaty will have no constraints on missile defense, the Kremlin seems to be under the opposite impression.

Russian Firm Joins World's Top 20 Arms Producers
(RIA Novosti)
Almaz-Antei is one of Russia's largest air defense manufacturers, specializing in production of small, medium- and long-range air defense systems, including the S-300 Favorit and S-400 Triumf systems.  Almaz Antei has recently announced that it is currently developing six new types of air defense/missile defense systems.

Top Officials Stress Country's Nuclear Strength
(Washington Post)
Gates said the United States is now "stronger, not weaker," in large part because of an increased focus on missile defense.

Saturday and Sunday
10 and 11 April 2010

Clinton on Iran Nukes: "Their Belligerence is Helping to Make Our Case"
(ABC News - Blog)
When I asked Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates about changes in the U.S. nuclear posture in my “This Week” joint interview Gates said, “We have more robust deterrents today, because we've added to the nuclear deterrent missile defense.  And -- and with the phased adaptive approach that the president has approved, we will have significantly greater capability to deter the Iranians, because we will have a significantly greater missile defense.”

Iran: Tehran's Unveiling of New Air Defense System Seen as a Warning to the West
(Los Angeles Times - Blog)
Iran unveiled a new "homemade" missile defense system on Sunday that its defense minister claims is capable of destroying "advanced airplanes flying at low and medium altitudes" in a show of force that can easily be read as a warning to Western powers seeking to pressure Iran over its nuclear program.

Lieberman: Not Enough Votes in Senate to Ratify New START Treaty
(The Hill - Blog)
"We need that defense to protect our allies and ourselves from Iran," Lieberman said. President Barack Obama backed away from the controversial missile shield, a plan launched under President George W. Bush, at the beginning of his term, earning kudos from Russia but disappointment from Poland and the Czech Republic.

Lieberman: Obama Won't Get Nukes Treaty without Major Changes
(Huffington Post - Blog)
As for the specific complaints that Lieberman has with the proposed treaty, tinkering with the missile defense approach seems to be the most difficult task, as it was a major sticking point in U.S.-Russia negotiations.

In Event of WMD Attack, "All Bets Are Off"
(CBS News)
The United States is also bolstering missile defense systems, in spite of concerns from Russia about the program that weighed down negotiations over the recently-signed New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Clinton said the U.S. has reached out to Russia for cooperation in its missile defense program.

Iran Hasn't Achieved Ability to Build Nuclear Arms, Gates Says
(BusinessWeek)
The U.S. believes Iran isn’t yet capable of building a nuclear weapon and the steps being taken to impose tighter sanctions are aimed at heading off that possibility, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today. The potential economic pressure of sanctions is part of a plan to persuade Iran that it would be less safe with a nuclear weapon than without, Gates said. The plan also includes a stronger missile defense system to guard against an Iranian assault, he said.

Iran Builds Hi-Tech Air Defense Shield
(Fars News Agency)
"The Mersad air defense system that is ready for delivery to the Air Defense Base is a mid-range defense system capable of destroying advanced airplanes in low and mid altitudes," Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi told reporters. Vahidi reiterated that Mersad is resistant to electronic warfare and can be used as part of a network of radar and air defense systems.

Iran Begins Production of Air-Defense Missile
(Wall Street Journal)
Iran announced the development of a new, more advanced, anti-aircraft system, the defense minister said Sunday. Ahmad Vahidi said the new Mersad, or Ambush, air-defense system would be able to hit modern aircraft at low and medium altitudes.

Iran to Complain to U.N. Over Obama Nuclear "Threat"
(Reuters)
Iran will lodge a complaint with the United Nations about what it sees as U.S. President Barack Obama's threat to attack it with nuclear weapons, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

How to Build on
the Start Treaty
(New York Times – OpEd)
New Start is the first tangible product of the administration’s promise to “press the reset button” on United States-Russian relations, so what should come next? Let’s begin with missile defense. Future arms talks should make a serious exploration of a joint United States-Russia program that would provide a bulwark against Iranian missiles.

Obama's Nuclear Foreign Fallacy
(Human Events - Blog)
Reagan invested billions of dollars into our missile defense program, but ever since Obama took office, he has targeted these shields time and time again.

Obama's Russian Miracle: How the Kremlin Backed Down on the Nuclear Treaty
(Huffington Post - Blog)
From the beginning of these talks, the two sides have been grappling over just one issue. Russia wanted to include a point in the treaty that would prevent the United States from building its anti-missile shield in Eastern Europe. They believed (and with good reason) that this shield could be used against Russia if Russia ever decided to lob one of its warheads at the West.

Polish Leader, 95 Others Dead in Russia Jet Crash
(The Associated Press)
Poland, a nation of 38 million people, is by far the largest of the 10 formerly communist countries that have joined the European Union in recent years. It has become a firm U.S. ally since the fall of communism — a stance that crosses party lines. U.S. Patriot missiles are expected to be deployed in Poland this year. However, under the Obama plan, Poland would host a different type of missile defense interceptors as part of a more mobile system and probably not until 2018.

Friday
9 April 2010

Republicans Pose Test for Treaty With Russia
(New York Times)
Senators will evaluate whether the new inspection and verification system is adequate, and Republicans will focus on any impact on missile defense.

FPI Overnight Brief: April 9, 2010
(Scoop.co.nz -
Press Release)
Russian leaders have vowed to go no further unless the US includes its missile defense program in the talks.

US Loses First Osprey in Afghanistan, 4 Dead
(The Associated Press)
A Taliban spokesman said militants shot down the aircraft, but the insurgents often make exaggerated claims. NATO said the cause was still under investigation. With room for up to 24 passengers, it comes equipped with sophisticated guidance and missile defense systems.

Obama Hopeful for New START Pact's Prospects in Senate
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
Republican Senators from Arizona John McCain and Jon Kyl noted concern about the treaty's missile defense provisions, the Times reported. Although the agreement contains no binding limitations on U.S. missile defense deployments, it "has the potential to constrain improvements to U.S. missile defenses, if objected to by the Russians," they added in the release.

Lockheed Martin has Successful Test with Hellfire II
(UPI.com)
Lockheed Martin says a recent proof-of-principle flight test of its AGM114R Hellfire II missile, referred to as Romeo, successfully struck its designated target using laser aim point technologies. See also Army Modifies Hellfire Launcher Deal.

Fort Bragg NCO, Manages Deployed Unit's Supply Activity in Southwest Asia (Systems)
At a non-disclosed base Staff Sergeant Michael Sondles performs a critical mission for his deployed unit, the 1st Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery (1-7 ADA) – he manages the Supply Support Activity (SSA), for the unit’s deployed Soldiers. Sondles' unit from Fort Bragg, N.C., provides air defense force protection from air breathing threats and tactical ballistic missiles using the Phased Array Tracking Intercept of Target (Patriot) Missile System, maintaining a strategic crisis response while defending deployed bases in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility (AOR). Sergeant Sondles said he stays pretty busy.

GOP: Treaty Might Imperil Missile Defense
(GovExec.com)
While the arms pact, which requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate for ratification, does not propose any curbs on missile defense, Russia issued a "unilateral statement" at the treaty signing declaring it can pull out of the accord if it feels threatened by any buildup of U.S. missile defenses.

With Mitch McConnell in the Room, Clinton Makes Robust Case for New START Ratification
(The Washington Independent)
Anticipating GOP objections on missile defense or rogue-state proliferation, Clinton said she wasn’t suggesting New START in itself would lead to a change in Iranian or North Korean proliferation efforts.

All-Star Panel
(FOXNews)
Tucker Carlson, The Dailycaller.com: I think the key though is not the missile reduction but missile defense. And Russia has said point blank we're not for allowing the U.S. to build a missile shield against Iranian nukes. I don't see the Senate going along with it until Russia moves on that.
Charles Krauthammer, Syndicated Columnist: What that implies is if the United States does something new on missile defense -- for example, if it were to reintroduce the systems it had originally intended to put in the Czech Republic and Poland, say to reintroduce it in Romania or elsewhere, that would be a step that would undo the status quo and it would make the treaty null and void. That is the implication of what he said. The Russians would walk away.

Ronald Reagan Rolls Over in His Grave
(True/Slant)
Had Reagan and Gorbachev been able to move just a bit on the question of missile defense, we would be living in a world today were terrorists and rogue nations would have a dramatically more difficult time getting their hands on errant Russian nukes and technology blueprints. Yet, here we once again find ourselves with Senate Republicans suggesting that they may not support a nuclear reduction treaty based on the very same issues.

Medvedev Offers to Work With US on Missile Defense
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
"We proposed our services to the United States in establishing a global missile defense system. We need to think about this," Medvedev told reporters.

Senate GOP is Not Opposing New START Treaty... Yet
(Foreign Policy)
The offices of leading GOP lawmakers, not just Kyl and McCain, are still pouring over the treaty text and investigating whether or not what the treaty says about missile defense is really problematic for them. "While we were initially advised that the only reference to missile defense was in the preamble to the treaty, we now find that there are other references to missile defense, some of which could limit U.S. actions," the senators wrote.

Transcript: George Stephanopoulos Interviews President Obama
(ABC News)
“So, some tough but successful negotiations with the Russians, now comes the Senate. You sounded pretty confident about ratification, but you know there is this concern about missile defense, and a lot of Republicans believe that even these unilateral Russian statements linking missile defense in the treaty could imperil it,” stated Stephanopoulos.

Bulgaria Should be an Active Side on Anti-Missile Defense Shield Issues: PM
(Focus News)
If the system of anti-missile defense shield is introduced it will defend the whole Europe, said the Bulgarian Prime Minister (PM) Boyko Borisov at the meeting between the Central and Eastern European heads of state and the U.S. President Barak Obama, the government’s press office announced.

Thursday
8 April 2010

New START Would Render US Vulnerable to Missile Attack
(Heritage.org -Blog)
The Obama Administration, while acknowledging that there would be language in the preamble of New START alluding to a link between strategic offensive arms and missile defenses, asserted flatly that it would not impose any restrictions on U.S. missile defense options. The assertions have turned out to be misrepresentations. Basically, the language asserts that missile defense capabilities must come down as the numbers of strategic nuclear arms come down.

Pentagon Expects Years of Study before Making Changes to US Nuclear War Plans
(Global Security Newswire)
 In addition, deploying more modern sensors -- several of them developed for missile defense -- could, during a crisis, help the Pentagon "know sooner that weapons are being postured for launch, that weapons actually have been launched, [and] where they're going precisely," General James Cartwright, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Prague Surrender
(Investor's Business Daily - Editorial)
That gutting of missile defense came on the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland on Sept. 17, 1939. "Just after midnight," related Czech interim Prime Minister Jan Fischer, "I was informed in a telephone call by President Barack Obama that (his) administration had decided to pull out from the planned missile defense shield installations" in the Czech Republic and Poland. Now the betrayal is complete.

 Toward a Modern Nuclear Security Enterprise
(IDN InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters)
The Treaty prohibits the conversion of ballistic missile defense interceptor launchers to intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or submarine- launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launchers, and vice versa. However, according to the document, “this provision has no effect on our ability to develop and field missile defenses.”

NATO Head Says Afghanistan's Karzai a Good Partner
(Washington Post)
It was unclear if the self-declared interim government in Kyrgyzstan would allow the U.S. base at Manas to remain open and keep supplying U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Pentagon officials said alternative supply routes could be used. On the subject of a missile defense system to defend Europe, the United States and possibly Russia, Rasmussen was hopeful an agreement could be worked out by the end of the year despite budget constraints.

The Last Tango in Prague
(The Moscow Times)
Josef Stalin once said, “It’s not important how the people vote, but who is counting the votes.” This could also apply to counting the warheads in the New START agreement. During the 16-month talks, Russia's objections focused on two issues: refitting strategic launchers with conventional weapons and missile defense.

Czech FM Praises START, invites Russia to Join Missile Defense
(RT)
“Reasons for building the missile defense are still valid as nuclear terrorism is still in place. We are repeating all the time that this is an open project not just for the allies in NATO, but also for the Russian Federation. And it’s up to the Russian Federation to decide at which level and by which means they would be part of such missile defense,” Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout told RT.

The Obama Administration's Ballistic Missile Defense Program: Treading Water in Shark Infested Seas
(Heritage.org)
Abstract: The Obama Administration's plan for ballistic missile defense and its proposed FY 2011 budget for the missile defense program would leave the program treading water. At the same time, the threat of ballistic missile attack on the U.S. and its allies will continue to increase as more state and non-state actors gain and improve the missile capabilities.

Wednesday
7 April2010

Evaluating the US-Russia Nuclear Deal
(Wall Street Journal)
The White House and Kremlin can't seem to agree what's in it, but it appears to restrict US missile defense efforts and has no limits on Russia's tactical nukes.

US Looks to Non-Nuclear Weapons to Use as Deterrent
(Washington Post)
U.S. military officials say the intercontinental ballistic missiles, known as Prompt Global Strike weapons, are a necessary new form of deterrence against terrorist networks and other adversaries. As envisioned, the conventional missiles would give the White House a fresh military option to consider in a crisis that would not result in a radioactive mushroom cloud.

Obama Heads to Prague to Sign Arms Deal
(The Associated Press)
The agreement — "New START," as it is known — is clear evidence of an improved U.S.-Russian relationship that had fallen to such a low in recent years that some worried about a second Cold War, with disputes over U.S. missile defense plans, Moscow's 2008 invasion of Georgia and NATO expansion to Russia's doorstep.

Russia to Deliver
S-300 to Iran
(UPI.com)
Despite intense pressure from the West, Russia plans to deliver its advanced S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran. Angered by delays in the delivery, Tehran has threatened to build its own missile defense system if Russia caved into Western demands to resist the missile sale.

Pre-Signing Spin?
(ABC News - Blog)
Russia continues to claim new treaty establishes “inextricable connection” with missile defense – White House says they’re wrong. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov recently stated that “linkage to missile defense is clearly spelled out in the accord and is legally binding.

 DoD: “We're Not Moving Away from Nuclear Deterrents” but “No Need” For Reliable Replacement Warhead
(ExecutiveBiz - Blog)
In a live DoD Live Bloggers Roundtable on President Obama's review of America's nuclear posture, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear & Missile Defense Bradley Roberts said, “So long as nuclear threats remain from these [rogue] states, the nuclear umbrella will remain as part of this overall regional deterrence architecture.”

A Nuclear Iran and the Futility of Sanctions (FrontPage Magazine)
Israel has deployed elements of the “Arrow” system of ballistic missile defense, but even the Arrow could not achieve a sufficiently high probability of intercept to protect civilian populations. Further, now that Obama has backed away from America’s previously-planned missile shield deployment in Poland and the Czech Republic, Israel has no good reason to place its security hopes in any combined systems of active defense.

Pakistan To Test-Fire Italy Air Defense Missiles
(DefenseNews.com - Subscription)
Pakistan will test-fire the Spada 2000 air defense system acquired from MBDA Italia in July, a source at the firm said. MBDA's Italian operation is also working on the MEADS missile defense system launched by the U.S., Germany and Italy. Bouvier said the Critical Design Review at system level should be completed by mid-year.

Russian Military Set to Upgrade Bulk of Weaponry By 2020
(RIA Novosti)
According to the draft program, the Russian Armed Forces should receive more than 1,500 combat aircraft and about 200 air defense systems by 2020. Russia also plans to develop a unified air defense/missile defense network.

Russian Missile Delivery to Iran Pending
(UPI.com)
Russia and Iran signed a contract in 2005 for the sale of the S-300 missile defense system, though developments on the delivery have since stalled.

Tuesday
6 April 2010

Chinese Cyber Spy Ring Hacks Into India's Secret Documents
(RTTNews)
Chinese internet hackers are reported to have broken into top secret files of India's Defense Ministry and Embassies around the world raising fears that major missile and armament systems of New Delhi may have been compromised.

Russia May Exit New Arms Deal If US Boosts Missile Defense
(BusinessWeek)
Russia will have the right to exit the accord if “the U.S.’s build-up of its missile defense strategic potential in numbers and quality begins to considerably affect the efficiency of Russian strategic nuclear forces,” Lavrov told reporters in Moscow today.

US Unveiling New, More Restrictive Nuclear Policy
(ABC News)
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia reserves the right to withdraw from its new arms-control treaty with the U.S. if it decides the planned U.S. missile-defense shield threatens its security.

Iran Urges Russia to Resist Missile Sale Pressure
(Washington Post/Reuters)
Iran urged Russia on Tuesday not to bow to Western pressure over the sale of a Russian missile defense system to the Islamic Republic which could protect its nuclear facilities from air strikes.

China Cyber-Espionage Eyes Indian Defense
(UPI.com)
Sensitive security information linked to India's missile and armament systems may have been compromised by Chinese hackers believed to have broken into top secret files of the Indian Defense Ministry.

Nuke Review Takes Comprehensive Look at Strategy
(DoD)
The Nuclear Posture Review, released today, is the first overarching look at U.S. nuclear strategy since the end of the Cold War. The scope includes the roles of missile defense, conventional strike, force levels, the weapons complex and the role of arms control in shaping U.S. nuclear posture, a senior official said.

US Unveiling New, More Restrictive Nuclear Policy
(The Associated Press)
The new policy comes just two days before Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are scheduled to sign a new START treaty, a bilateral agreement that will cut the number of strategic warheads and missiles maintained by the world's two largest nuclear powers.

US Hopes to Ease Russia Fears on Missile Defense
(The Associated Press)
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the US will continue to try to seek common ground with Russia on missile defense despite the Kremlin's fear that such systems are aimed at crippling its nuclear arsenal.

Obama Embraces Missile Defense in Nuclear Review
(Foreign Policy)
For an Obama team that has been skeptical of the past U.S. administrations' efforts to rapidly deploy ballistic missile-defense systems around the world, missile defense sure does get star billing in the United States' newly released report on overall nuclear strategy.

Monday
5 April 2010

Missile Shield Still Being Discussed, Russia Says
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
The Kremlin has objected to U.S. proposals to locate missile defenses in Europe on the grounds that it would undermine Russia's own nuclear deterrence. The Obama administration put forth a revised plan for a missile shield last year that envisions a phased deployment of land- and sea-based interceptors around Europe as a hedge against possible short- and medium-range missiles fired from Iran.

Gates Unafraid To Lock Horns With Top Generals
(USA Today)
On Thursday, Gates ordered a sweeping overhaul of the senior mentors program, imposing a series of new rules on hiring, pay and ethics.

Stanford's David Holloway Weighs in on US-Russian Nuclear Treaty Slated for Signing this Week
(Stanford University News)
The treaty does not restrict America's plans to build a missile defense shield in Europe, but explain the tensions between Russia and US over that issue.

Czechs Torn Over US Nuclear Treaty with Russia
(USA Today)
As Obama returns to Prague Castle on Thursday to sign a nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia, Czechs differ over whether his conciliatory dialogue with their former occupier is dangerously naïve or a laudable step toward global security.

Saturday - Sunday
3 - 4 April 2010

Obama's Victory Lap in Prague
(Foreign Policy)
A year ago during a Washington think-tank conference on U.S.-European relations a few days after Obama met with Medvedev for the first time in London, one senior administration official described the proposed arms treaty as the "low-hanging fruit" in the relationship. The tree bearing that fruit must have grown higher and higher as issues such as verification, telemetry, and missile defense kept delaying agreement.

Nuclear Heartland Anxious About Missile Cuts
(The Associated Press)
Here in America's nuclear heartland, where underground missile silos dot the landscape, a proposed U.S.-Russia treaty to reduce nuclear weapons is nothing short of alarming.

Romania Defends Role in US Missile Shield
(BBC News)
The US defense department, in its Ballistic Missile Defense Review, reckons the ballistic missile threat "is increasing both quantitatively and qualitatively, and is likely to continue to do so over the next decade". It points particularly to missile programs in North Korea and Iran.

AIR DEFENSE: Low Cost, Slightly Legal, Missile Protection
(Strategy Page)
China recently received the last of 15 battalions of S-300MPU anti-aircraft missile systems bought from Russia. However, China is using its own, locally designed and built, HQ-9 systems. Unlike the S-300, China can upgrade the HQ-9 and sell it to anyone. Thus, earlier this year, an HQ-9 anti-aircraft system successfully shot down a ballistic missile. This capability is important to many potential

Friday
2 April 2010

Israeli Unveils Tank-Defense System of the Future
(Washington Post)
On a dusty, wind-swept field overlooking the Mediterranean, a small team of researchers is putting the final touches on what Israel says is a major game changer in tank defense: a miniature anti-missile system that detects incoming projectiles and shoots them down before they reach the armored vehicles.

France Poses Questions on NATO Missile Shield
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
The Obama administration has proposed a revised plan for European missile defense that would be comprised of sea- and land-based missile interceptors fielded around the continent. France's defense minister yesterday seemed to question the need for a NATO missile shield that would be intended to counter possible missiles launched from Iran.

The US Senate, Not the UN, Will Be the Judge of This Treaty
(Heritage.org - Blog)
Does the Treaty, Either Directly or Indirectly, Limit the Missile Defense Options of the US? Ratification of this treaty would have profound implications for the security of the United States for years to come. Accordingly, those actually charged with approving U.S. treaties, U.S. Senators; need to ask some probing questions about the agreement in the months to come.

Gates Orders Overhaul of Pentagon Mentor Program
(USA Today)
Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered an overhaul of the Pentagon's use of retired senior officers to advise the military, limiting the pay of "senior mentors" and requiring them to disclose their business ties to defense contractors. One Pentagon offshoot, the Missile Defense Agency, refused even to disclose the names of its mentors.

China to Buy Air Defense Systems from Russia
(Washington Post/Reuters)
Russia has delivered 15 batteries of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to China, Interfax news agency reported on Friday, under a contract analysts said could be worth as much as $2.25 billion.

Obama, Medvedev to Sign Landmark Nuclear Arms Pact
(Reuters)
The START successor deal will not resolve simmering tension over missile defense, which has haunted ties since the Reagan era.

NG Advances Army Training with VICTR/E Lab
(UPI.com)
US defense company Northrop Grumman announced it is advancing Army training initiatives as part its Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System.

New START Seen Facing Political, Technical Challenges in Russia
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
Members of Russia's political elite are worried about what the agreement says or does not say about US ballistic missile defense and "prompt global strike" systems, according to the analyst.

Russia Delivers Missile Systems to China
(RT)
“Japan is purchasing the American Patriot system, and likely the Chinese think they need to have their own air defense and missile defense capabilities.

Thursday
1 April 2010

Pentagon Refutes Trident Missile Launch In Saudi Arabia Test
(RTT News)
The Pentagon refuted Wednesday that the United States test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads during a military exercise with Saudi Arabia last week. Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Withington, a Pentagon spokesman, said there was no launch of either Trident or any other missile during the exercise, which began last week.

U.S. Trident Missile Test-Fires in Saudi Arabia News and Updates
(World Buzz Now!)
The news reports that Saudi Arabia and the U.S conducted a joint military exercise on Wednesday. A US submarine launched a ballistic missile called the Trident, which is capable of carrying not one but a number of Nuclear warheads.

France Wants Explanation Over NATO's Missile Defense System
(Focus News)
French Defense Minister Herve Morin said on Wednesday that the European alliance needs more explanation over NATO's pricy missile defense system as the cost is threatening the already tight military budget of Europe.

Obama's Anti-Missile Defense Adviser
(Politico/AP)
President Barack Obama has nominated an anti-missile defense adviser who may soon receive congressional approval — and put Americans in danger.

No Daylight Between Medvedev and Putin on Nuke Treaty
(Foreign Policy)
During the most contentious moments of the U.S.-Russian negotiations over a new nuclear treaty, it often seemed as if Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin were working at cross purposes. Putin in the role of spoiler for making public statements about U.S. missile defense plans.

Wednesday
31 March 2010

Missile Defense Could Rebuild Confidence of European Citizens that NATO is Taking Care of Their Security
(ISRIA - Registration)
Building a missile defense shield to cover all European countries could rebuild people's confidence in NATO and show them that NATO was genuinely taking care of their security, rather than just engaging in operations at the other end of the world, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov said at the Brussels Forum today.

Valcourt Planning Retirement, Enjoys Final Salute at Sill
(Lawton Constitution)
Lieutenant General David P. Valcourt, who was commanding general of Fort Sill when the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission announced its recommendations on May 13, 2005, says he thinks the Air Defense Artillery is a good fit at Fort Sill.

Grad Finds West Point Challenging
(Lawton Constitution)
In the Army, leadership starts with discipline, hard work and sacrifice, a message Blake Rulison brought to students at his alma mater, MacArthur High School in Lawton, Oklahoma. On behalf of the US Military Academy at West Point, Rulison’s gave a presentation on expectation, application and requirements when applying to become a cadet at the most prestigious military university.

Tuesday
30 March 2010

AIR DEFENSE: We Will Repel You
(Strategy Page)
The Pentagon says it is prepared for a Chinese ballistic missile system, with anti-missile systems deployed in the Pacific (on land and at sea) to deal with such a weapon.

The Promise of Euro-Atlantic Missile Defense
(Project Syndicate)
We are not starting from scratch. NATO allies have been looking at various missile-defense options for some time. NATO itself is developing protections for our deployed troops. But with the new US approach to missile defense, there are now much better opportunities for an effective NATO-wide system that would enhance the territorial defense of our populations and nations.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry Plans Joint Air Defense Drills with Belarus, Russia (Power-Gen Worldwide)
The Ukrainian Defence Ministry plans to hold joint air defence exercises with Belarus and Russia in 2010, the ministry's spokesperson said.

STRATCOM Commander Keeps Focus on Deterrence
(Washington Post)
"We continue to strengthen and sharpen our focus on deterrence while at the same time preserving our freedom of action in space and cyberspace," Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, head of Strategic Command (Stratcom), said in last week's appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee. In 2002 came space operations, including global command and control (those communication and early-warning satellites in space) and missile defense.

US, Russia Hit Language Barrier in Pact
(Washington Times)
"But there is no limit or constraint on what the United States can do with its missile defense system." The difference in interpretation on missile defense could determine the fate of START when the administration sends the document to the Senate for ratification.

Monday
29 March 2010

Fort Hood Soldier Dies Of Gunshot Wound
(KWTX)
Private First Class Donnell C. Harris, 23, of Linden Mass., died Sunday in Killeen of a gunshot wound, Fort Hood said Monday. The circumstances of the death are under investigation. Harris was assigned to Fort Hood's Echo Battery, 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.

US Hopes Nuclear Arms Pact to be Ratified This Year
(Washington Post)
Ellen Tauscher, the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control, insisted the new treaty placed no limits on US missile defense systems, despite Russian suggestions last week that either side had the right to pull out of the offensive nuclear arms agreement if the other beefs up missile defenses.

North Korea Threatens US, South Over Demilitarized Zone
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
U.S. Pacific Command Chief Admiral Willard told the House Armed Services Committee last week that there are serious concerns that Pyongyang is a proliferator of weapons of mass destruction. He pointed to the missile tests the North carried out in 2009 as one basis for this fear, the Defense Department said in a press release.

An Illusory New START
(The Moscow Times)
Finally, although there will be a declarative statement in the treaty that defines a link between nuclear weapons and missile defense, there is nothing in the treaty that would limit the United States from developing a strategic missile defense system.

Obama Intervened Frequently in Arms
Control Talks
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
Negotiations revolved around several other points of contention: formulating new monitoring terms that Moscow could consider equitable, provisions for sharing missile test flight data, and whether to link nuclear reductions to limitations on a planned U.S. missile shield in Europe. Russia long refused to budge on its positions, wagering that Obama would offer concessions in order to close the deal before his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance ceremony in December 2009.

Navy Selects GD
to Support NAMDC
(UPI.com)
US defense company General Dynamics received the award as part of the Navy's SeaPort-enhanced contract vehicle to support the Navy Air and Missile Defense Command at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren in Virginia.

Israel Models Missile Defense Performance
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
The test incorporated defenses Israel could currently access: the Arrow 2 system, Aegis warships armed with Standard Missile 3 interceptors, a U.S. X-band radar fielded in the Negev Desert and the nation's Patriot air-defense batteries.

National Review: Short-Lived Restoration
(NPR)
The administration infuriated the democracies in Eastern Europe by backing down on missile defense and getting into a fracas with India in Copenhagen over global warming.

Kratos Successfully Launches Hypersonic Propulsion Research Payload; Rocket
(MarketWatch -
Press Release)
"This successful mission demonstrates Kratos direct participation, capabilities and support in a number of critical National Security areas, including next generation weapons research and development, weapons system support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and ballistic missile defense," ) said David Carter, President of Kratos' Defense Engineering Solutions Division.

High-Tech Gear Tested at Fort Bliss Deemed 'Unreliable'
(TMC Net)
High-tech combat gear tested at Fort Bliss is "immature, unreliable and not performing as required," a federal report says.