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Updated Links to Air and Missile Defense Articles From News Media Website

Sunday
31 January 2010

U.S. Boosts Persian Gulf Missile Defense
(New York/Seattle Times)
The Obama administration is accelerating the deployment of new defenses against possible Iranian missile attacks in the Persian Gulf, placing special ships off the Iranian coast and anti-missile systems in at least four Arab countries, administration and military officials said.

U.S. Beefs Up Defenses
Near Iran
(Los Angeles Times)
New anti-missile systems are being set up in Persian Gulf countries, including early-warning radar and missile batteries. Washington emphasizes that the measures are intended to be defensive.

America Expediting Deployment of Missile Defense System Against Iran
(Yeshiva World News)
America is expediting the deployment of missile defense systems in the region along with maintaining a naval presence in response to fears that stepped-up sanctions against Iran may lead to an attack against Israel.

The US Undermines the Security of China, Says Beijing
(News Trends -- Blog)
The United States, considering a new arms sale to Taiwan, “impair the national security of China and its efforts for peaceful reunification,” lamented the foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, reported Sunday the Xinhua news agency.

US-POLITICS Summary
(Washington Post/Reuters)
The United States has expanded land- and sea-based missile defense systems in and around the Gulf to counter what it sees as Iran's growing missile threat, U.S. officials said.

US Expanding Missile
Defenses in Gulf
(Reuters)
General David Petraeus, who as head of U.S. Central Command is responsible for military operations across the Middle East, said this month that the United States has stationed eight Patriot missile batteries in four Gulf countries, which he did not identify.

Test Missile Misses Its Pacific Target
(Washington Post)
The Air Force says a missile-intercept test failed when a long-range missile launched from California missed a target missile launched from a Pacific island because of radar problems.

Waging Unhelpful War Against Contractors
(Washington Examiner)
At times it seems the White House is intent on fighting another war -- one in which the perceived enemy is America's defense industries. Leading the apparent offensive is Defense Secretary Robert Gates. When the West Wing switched from right-wing to left-wing, Gates quickly seemed to discover that one of the great non-state threats facing America was the companies that provided the Pentagon goods, services and materials.

US Deploys More Missile Defense Units To Persian Gulf - Report
(Wall Street Journal)
The US is sending more missile defense assets to countries around the Persian Gulf to counter what is seen as a growing threat from Iran.

Iran's Defiance Spurs U.S. and Gulf Allies to Boost Defenses
(Wall Street Journal)
Moves, which include upgrades, new purchases of American-made Patriot anti-missile batteries and the addition of advanced air- and missile-defense radars, illustrate both growing concern with the Iranian moves and a new willingness by Arab allies in the region to more publicly tie their defenses to the U.S.


Saturday
30 January 2010

China Suspends US Military Visits After Taiwan Arms Deal
(CNN International)
China's Defense Ministry said the decision to halt visits between the Chinese and U.S. armed forces was made "in consideration of the serious harm and impacts on Sino-U.S. military relations" brought about by the arms deal.

US Beefing Up Missile Defenses in Persian Gulf
(Washington Post/AP)
The United States has quietly increased the capability of land-based Patriot defensive missiles in several Gulf Arab nations.

China Responds Angrily
 (MiamiHerald.com/Politics AP)
China curtailed military exchanges with the United States on Saturday and threatened to sanction U.S. firms in retaliation for proposed American weapon sales to Taiwan.

Open Communication With the People of Japan Important
(Stars and Stripes)
"All the land-based missile defense assets that are here are Army, and so every time North Korea shoots a missile over Japan that’s a hot topic," said Maj. Jim Crawford, USARJ spokesman. "Japan is one of our greatest allies when it comes to missile defense and a lot of people don’t know that in Japan."

Russia, Libya Sign $1.8 Billion Arms Deal
(Voice of America)
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says Moscow has agreed to sell Libya weapons in a $1.8 billion deal. Russia's Interfax News Agency quoted a "military diplomatic source" as saying Libya was ready to buy about 20 fighter planes from Moscow, as well as air defense systems and several dozen tanks.

U.S. Speeding Up Arms Sales, Defenses with Gulf Allies
(Washington Post)
"We're developing a truly regional defensive capability, with missile systems, air defense and a hardening up of critical infrastructure," said the Obama administration official, who is involved in strategic planning with Gulf States and who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Senate Should Uphold Reagan's Vision on Arms Control
(Heritage.org -- Blog)
Ronald Reagan’s long-term vision of a world without nuclear weapons presupposed a robust missile defense—the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)—that would render offensive nuclear weapons directed at the U.S. obsolete.

Putin on Libyan and Russian Arms Deal
(Reuters)
"Only yesterday we signed a contract worth 1.3 billion euros," Putin said, according to RIA Novosti. Although he did not specify which weapons Libya intended to purchase, he made it clear it was not limited to small arms.

Friday
29 January 2010

Secretary Clinton Warns China to Stay the Course on Iran Nuclear Sanctions
(Los Angeles Times)
In Paris, the U.S. Secretary of State tells Beijing to think about the longer-term consequences even though it may seem 'counterproductive' to sanction a country from which it gets key resources.

US Approves $6 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan
(New York Times)
The arms package announced Friday is primarily defensive, and includes 114 Patriot missiles worth $2.82 billion.

Despite Rift, Obama Keeps Israel Armed
(UPI.com)
An Israeli air and missile attack, most likely a series of strikes since the Israeli air force does not have the ability to knock out key targets with one blow, would invite Iranian retaliation and probably ignite conflict around the region.

Working Together Isn't Working
(RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty)
For all the talk of “reset” and “shared interests” and the like, cooperation between the United States and Russia is just not going anywhere. One area often mentioned as potentially fruitful for cooperation is missile defense ...

US Willing To Work With
Russia on BMD
(DefenseNews.com -- Subscription)
Hillary Clinton  represented Washington’s willingness to work with Moscow on plans to field a ballistic missile defense system in the Eastern Mediterranean in a speech delivered to a packed hall at the Ecole Militaire staff college in Paris.

Army Selects Kratos Unit for Task Order
(UPI.com)
The US Army has awarded a task order to Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to provide its modeling services to support US missile defense applications.

General Explains NORTHCOM's Collaborative Missions
(DoD Live -- Blog)
One of U.S. Air Force General Victor E. Renuart, Jr.’s (Commander, NORAD/NORTHCOM) jobs is ensuring air sovereignty and air defense of the airspace of both Canada and the United States.

Clinton to Work with Russia on European Security
(Reuters)
Clinton reassured Washington’s European allies that a new US plan for Europe-based missile defense was no threat to Moscow's interests.

Thursday
28 January 2010

Kennebunkport Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Bribes
(Seacoast Online.com/  Associated Press)
A Maine defense contractor who bribed officials at the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Ala., has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Missile Defense Test Scheduled
(Santa Barbara Edhat.com)
The 30th Space Wing and Missile Defense Agency are scheduled to conduct a test of the ground-based interceptor system on January 31st.

SECTION IV: STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIPS
(DefenseNews.com -- Subscription)
The U.S. will seek out opportunities to work with Moscow on emerging issues, such as the future of the Arctic and the need for effective missile defense architectures designed to protect the region from external threats. At the same time, the United States will continue to engage with Russia's neighbors as fully independent and sovereign states.

Inside the Ring
(Washington Times)
The latest U.S. arms package for Taiwan includes 60 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, air defense communications equipment and additional Patriot PAC-3 missile defenses, according to congressional and administration officials who said an announcement on the package is imminent.

Russian Arms Exports Hit Record in 2009
(DefenseNews.com -- Subscription)
The global financial crunch didn't stop Russian defense exports from hitting a record $7.4 billion in 2009, and the prospects remain bright for the next few years.

Huge Defense Planning Document Leaks; What Does It Mean for the Budget?
(The Washington Independent)
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said, repeatedly that he’s sick of buying stuff for every conceivable challenge, no matter how hypothetical. How might this pan out for air defense systems?

Wednesday
27 January 2010

Patriot Games
(Russia Profile.org)
As the United States last week agreed to station Patriot missiles in Poland only 100 kilometers from Russian soil. The international community braced for a return to hostile U.S.-Russian relations. But apart from some initial tough talking, the arrangement has elicited an uncharacteristically indifferent reaction from Russia. Is this a triumph for warmer relations, or is the Kremlin still formulating its reaction?

Finland Contracts Saab
for RBS-70
(UPI.com)
Sweden-based Saab announced it has been selected by Finland to deliver an order of its Robotsystem 70 (RBS 70), a short-range man-portable laser guided missile system, to the Finnish army.

Forecast International: Gulf Region Remains the Nucleus of Middle East Defense Growth
(Defence Professionals - defpro.news)
 The defense-spending binge by the Middle East and the GCC members has been fueled by their quest to close the strategic gap between themselves and regional rival Iran by acquiring superior military hardware and technologies. Defense investment in the Middle East is not confined to the GCC countries alone. Major defense programs in the Israeli pipeline include the final development and implementation of five air-defense missile-interceptor systems that constitutes the bulk of the Israeli C-RAM (counter-rocket, artillery and mortar) program.

Arms Treaty with US Could be Ready in Weeks: Russia
(Reuters)
Talks on a landmark treaty to cut Cold War nuclear arsenals are nearly complete, U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev agreed in a telephone call on Wednesday. One issue still being discussed was telemetry -- the remote monitoring of missiles in launch and flight -- a potential deal-breaker because the U.S. Senate is unlikely to ratify a pact encompassing missile defense.

Missile-Defense Test Scheduled for Vandenberg AFB
(Lompoc Record)
A missile-defense system test set for Sunday will gauge how the system reacts to an Iran-like attack. The test, involves a target weapon set to take off from the Kwajalein Atoll, followed about 20 minutes later by a ground-based interceptor launched from an underground silo on north Vandenberg. Lieutenant General Patrick O’Reilly, Director, Missile Defense Agency (MDA), said during an interview with Reuters that the scenario would involve “a class of long-range missile technology we might expect in the future from a country like Iran, as well as from a country like North Korea.”

Tuesday
26 January 2010

US Prepares New Taiwan Arms Package Despite Beijing Hysterics
(DefenseNews.com --Subscription)
The new package is expected to additional Patriot PAC-3 missile defense systems. Taiwan is facing about 1,400 short-range ballistic missiles from China and plans to deploy the new PAC-3s in the central and southern regions of Taiwan.

North Dakota National Guard Soldiers Back from Afghanistan
(Grand Forks Herald)
About 40 North Dakota National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, based in Grand Forks returned to US soil Tuesday after a year-long deployment assuming the Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment-III (RAID-III) mission. RAID units conduct a high-tech monitoring mission in Afghanistan to protect other operating bases.

Missile Defense Agency Releases Draft GMD Request for Proposals
(Inside Defense - Subscription)
The Missile Defense Agency last week released a draft request for proposals for a contract that will re-open competition for its Ground-based Midcourse Defense program.

Russia Resists Partnering With US on Missile Defense
(NTI-Global Security Newswire)
Russia remains reluctant to partner with the United States on missile defense. "As far as missile defense issues are concerned, we have told the U.S. and NATO that it is necessary to start everything from scratch -- to jointly analyze the origin and types of missile proliferation risks and threats," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters.

Libya In Russia Arms Talks
(RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty)
Libya has moved to restore its reputation after ending its international isolation in recent years and has made efforts to cultivate energy and arms ties with Moscow. "Libya is ready to buy around 20 fighter planes, not less than two divisions of S-300PMU2 air-defense systems, several dozen T-90S tanks from Russia, and also to modernize more than 140 T-72 tanks and other weapons," Interfax news agency reported, citing what it called "a military-diplomatic source.

"Global Insights: Where Is the Post-START Treaty?
(World Politics Review)
For weeks, U.S. and Russian government representatives have stated that they expect a new nuclear arms control treaty to be signed imminently. Nevertheless, the negotiations continue to drag on and it appears the stationing of the Patriot Missile System in Poland did not help.

Providing for the Common Defense: A Call to Restore Funding to US Missile Defense
(Family Security Matters)
 Since last spring, the White House has cut some $1.4 billion from programs within the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. In doing so, it has terminated a number of promising programs, among them the Airborne Laser, the Multiple Kill Vehicle and Kinetic Energy Interceptor.

Monday
25 January 2010

State of the Union Should Be "State of War" Presidential Address
(Heritage.org)
In troubled times, the world gets more--not less--dangerous. Foreign policy and national security concerns should be front and center in the State of the Union address. In Europe, by canceling proposals for missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, the Administration undermined relations with both countries and emboldened Russian efforts to expand its influence over Eastern Europe.

The Russia-Georgia Conflict
(The Jamestown Foundation)
The Georgian government plans to undertake no large-scale deployment of forces outside of the country, except for a token force for operations with ISAF in Afghanistan. Given the poor performance of the Georgian air force and the observed weaknesses in the air defense system, priority has been given to improving air defense systems through acquisitions from Ukraine, Poland, and Israel.

Construction Begins on New Radar Lab
(Global Security Newswire - NTI)
Once completed, the new Advanced Radar Detection Laboratory would assess the new Air and Missile Defense Radar and other systems.

United States Woos India Back to the Bush Era
(Asia Times)
The "Gates Mission" in 1990 to defuse a cascading wave of India-Pakistan tensions is the stuff of legends. Historians are still in two minds whether Gates deserves to be credited for having conceivably averted the world's first nuclear war.

a.i. solutions Awarded $209 Million Contract to Provide Support to MDA
(SYS-CON Media - Press Release)
a.i. solutions announced today that it has been awarded a $209 million contract to provide a wide range of design, evaluation and analysis support services to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA).

Taking Stock of the
Drone Surge
(CBS News)
In Afghanistan, unmanned aircraft, for years in short supply and tasked primarily with surveillance missions, have increasingly been used to target suspected militants as part of an aerial surge that has significantly outpaced the highly publicized "surge" of ground forces now underway.

Friday
22 January 2010

Russia Not Ready to Set Up Missile Defense Shield with United States
(KyivPost)
Russia is not ready to build a missile defense shield with the United States in line with earlier proposed partnership approaches. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, "As far as missile defense issues are concerned, we have told the U.S. and NATO that it is necessary to start everything from scratch - to jointly analyze the origin and types of missile proliferation risks and threats."

Russia Seeks Explanation of US Missiles in Poland
(Bloomberg)
 Russia is seeking an explanation of U.S. plans to deploy Patriot missiles in Poland. “I don’t have full information, but if it’s correct, the question arises about the need to do something to create the impression that Poland is fortifying itself against Russia,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Under the initial accord, American troops would be located on a U.S. base in Poland to set up and maintain the Patriot air defense battery.

Russian Foreign Minister Doesn't Understand Polish Missiles
(The Associated Press – Washington Post)
 Puzzled by an announcement Wednesday by the Polish Defense Ministry on the stationing of up to eight Patriot launch pads, manned by some 100 U.S. troops, 37 miles from the Poland-Kaliningrad border, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is seeking an explanation.

China Lashes Back at US Over Internet Criticism
(Reuters)
China hit back at U.S. criticism of Internet censorship and hacking on Friday, warning that relations were being hurt by a feud centered on the web giant Google. Earlier this month, China denounced the U.S. sale of Patriot air defense missiles to Taiwan, followed by the announcement of China’s own anti-missile test. Beijing has warned that continued condemnation of their censorship policies and more U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan could badly bruise relations with Washington, and has urged President Obama not to meet the Dalai Lama, the exiled Buddhist leader of Tibet who Beijing denounces as a separatist.

The Doomsday Clock Keeps Ticking
(Los Angeles Times/Opinion)
“We have a missile defense system to protect us against nuclear weapons.” Even before the most recent ballistic missile defense system was installed in eight silos in Alaska and California in 2004 and 2005, 50% of the U.S. public thought we already had such a system in place. They were about as correct then as they would be now. The system that has been installed has failed almost 50% of the time in tests, and even then the tests were not performed against a realistic threat.

Army Betting Big on Laser Weapons
(FOXNews)
It's only a matter of time until the U.S. Army fights terrorists and other enemy combatants with laser beams, engaging in battles seen previously only in movies like Starship Troopers, Star Wars, and Star Trek.

Thursday
21 January 2010

Missile-Defense Test Launch is Delayed
(Lompoc Record.Com)
A scheduled $120 million intercept test, expected to engage a target launched from the Kwajalein Atoll by an interceptor launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base over the Pacific Ocean has been postponed. The delay is blamed on the need to gather additional data before proceeding with the test.

Air Defense Artillery School Opens at Fort Sill
(Fort Leavenworth Lamp) Lieutenant Colonel James Payne, Commander, 3-6 ADA expressed his idea of the new training venue as embracing training methods that cater to how our new warriors best learn. Today’s Soldiers are simply different from legacy Soldiers, they grew up with automation, computers, and small hand-held devices and that's how we plan to train.

Poland to Deploy U.S. Missiles Near Russia
(The New York Times)
Three months after the United States announced a reformulated missile-defense plan for Poland, the Polish defense minister has announced that American surface-to-air missiles will be deployed near Russian soil. The United States promised the missiles to Poland in October, after President Obama scrapped a missile-defense system proposed by President Bush.

U.S. to Deploy Missiles Near Russia
(The Washington Times)
President Obama sent two of his top national security officials to Moscow on Wednesday to clear the last hurdles to a new nuclear pact, but a revelation that U.S. missiles will soon be deployed near Russian territory could complicate the talks.

Pentagon Budget Seeks to Kill 7 Arms Programs
(Reuters)
The Pentagon's fiscal 2011 budget continues the Obama administration's drive to get "the most bang for the buck" by terminating seven major weapons programs and shifting resources to focus on emerging threats. Ballistic missile defense will remain a priority, drawing about $9.9 billion in funding, including $8.4 billion for the Missile Defense Agency, the documents showed.

 Northrop Grumman Enters Competition for Ground-based Midcourse Defense Contract
(CNN Money.com)
Northrop Grumman Corporation today said it will enter the competition as a prime contractor for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Development and Sustainment contract. John Clay, Vice President of Missile Systems for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector said, "Northrop Grumman already is well underway in bringing together the capabilities to meet GMD's development, testing, training, operations, support and sustainment challenges."

 Washington Prepares Arms Sales for Taiwan, Risking China's Ire
(The Faster Times)
  The ever-sensitive topic of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, considered by Beijing to be an integral part of the People’s Republic of China, will undoubtedly result in protestations by the Chinese, who have long maintained a vow to recover the island by force if necessary.

U.S. Missile Defenses to be Fielded Near Russian Border
(NTI: Global Security Newswire)
Patriot missiles have been sought by Warsaw and are being deployed following a major revision to the U.S. program for missile defense in Europe. It now emphasizes using sea- and land-based versions of the PAC-3 missile as a hedge against short- and medium-range missiles fired from Iran.

Do You Think Iran Is Not Paying Attention? Think Again!
(Hamsayeh.net – Iran & International News)
Russia Blasts US Deployment of Missiles Near its Border with Poland - Russia expressed outmost dissatisfaction with the United States’ change of plans over missile deployment in Poland. This time, the US not only plans to deploy a missile shield system in Poland but also to station it very close to the Russian border, as announced by Bogdan Klick the Polish Defense Minister in an interview with local daily Gazeta Wyborcza. Patriot missile battery will contain four to eight missiles and will be operated by 100 American soldiers redeployed from a base in Germany.

Hawks, Doves Launch Media War
(Politico44)
Engaged in a renewed battle over the proliferation of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, interested parties on all sides of the issue are waging war with the latest media strategies.

2009: Missed Opportunities to Protect the United States
(Human Events.Com – Blog)
In a watershed year, the administration dramatically reshaped the future of America’s military by cutting some key defense capabilities. The current administration has made an urgent situation worse by cutting missile-defense funding by almost 15 percent and cancelling the “third site” program to field long-range missile-defense interceptors and radar in Eastern Europe.

Wednesday
20 January 2010

Working With Russia on a Nuclear Deal
(The Associated Press)
U.S. negotiators have resisted Russia's demand to include in the deal a plan for monitoring U.S. missile defense interceptors being deployed in Europe.

China's Scary Space Ambitions
(The Wall Street Journal)
China started an intensive diplomatic and propaganda campaign against American missile defense programs. Most recently, Beijing added its vocal assistance to Vladimir Putin's intimidation campaign, which succeeded in helping to convince President Obama to reverse his predecessor's commitment to build ground-based defenses in Europe against Iran's Chinese-aided nuclear missile threat.

Former Defense Official Accepts Position on MDAA Advisory Board
(PR Newswire)
 The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA) announced that Ambassador Eric Edelman, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from 2005 through 2009, has accepted a position on the MDAA Advisory Board. "His expertise and experience will provide in-depth awareness on the critical path forward on missile defense with Russia and our allies in the Middle East, Europe and Asia" said the Chairman of MDAA.

Let's Put All of This in Context
(The Huntsville Times – Huntsville, AL)
The Army has chosen Northrop Grumman to develop an Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) that will provide a common operating interface and sharing of data among current and future missile and sensor programs, according to the company's IBCS program manager.

China Vents Anger with Missile Test
(Asia Times Online)
China has conducted a successful "defensive" anti-missile test with the intent of sending the United States a stern message of disapproval over Washington's latest arms sales to Taiwan.

Tuesday
19 January 2010

Israel Can Use Stockpiled US Arms
(UPI.Com)
The U.S. Army is reportedly building up stockpiles of missiles in Israel that the Israelis will be allowed to use in an emergency.


Japan & US Vow to Expand Ties Despite Base Feud
(Reuters)
The two sides are working on defining a new direction for their five-decade alliance, which could include tighter links in intelligence and missile defense.

Wednesday
13 January 2010

U.S. Says Russia Arms Deal Close, Talks Resuming
(Reuters)
After negotiators broke for the Christmas and New Year holidays, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin challenged the United States by saying that its plans for a missile defense system were the main obstacle to an agreement. Obama moved to placate Russia last year by scrapping plans for missile defense installations in Eastern Europe – the Kremlin seemed to accept that the U.S. position is that the new treaty must not place restraints on missile defense.

Taiwan Says US Arms will Help Ties with China
 (The Associated Press) Weapons purchases from the U.S. can give Taiwan the confidence it needs to pursue reconciliation with rival China -- while earlier in the day China reaffirmed its strong opposition to the arms transactions with Taipei, saying ''the stand we take in opposing any country selling arms to Taiwan has been consistent and clear.'' The recent Pentagon $969 million contract award to Lockheed Martin for 263 PAC-3 air defense missiles and a $1.1 billion contract to Raytheon for production of the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System for Taiwan has sparked Chinese opposition.

US Military's Move from Japan to Guam Underway
(BNET)
Along with Marine and Navy assets an Army air defense organization will also move to Guam.

 Missile Defense Director Says Alaska in Strategic Position
(KTUU.com – Channel 2 News Anchorage)
The director for the nation's missile defense agency says Alaska is strategically located for missile defense. Lieutenant General Patrick O'Reilly said, the threat is growing, and more countries are developing the capacity to build missiles themselves, in addition to missiles being openly available on the arms market, adding that Alaska is the closest point to Iran, North Korea, Southern Asia and other known threats to the United States.

 Rocket Data Dispute Still Unresolved in U.S.-Russia Nuke Talks
 (Foreign Policy - The Cable)
The last remaining issue with the U.S.-Russian negotiations over a START follow-on treaty turns out, to be the issue of rocket science …more specifically, telemetry data. Although part of the original START treaty, the Russians are resisting.

U.S. Forces Korea Transformation Update
(U.S. Army)
The end-state of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) transformation will relocate the majority of U.S. forces to two enduring hubs. The Northwest or Pyeongtaek and the Southeast or Daegu. Additionally, military tours in Korea will become normalized two-year unaccompanied or three-year accompanied tours.

U.S. Urges Japan to Keep Commitment on Military Bases
(Reuters)
The United States urged Japan on Tuesday to keep its commitment to move a U.S. military base on the island of Okinawa but the two vowed not to let the row derail their security alliance in the face of rising Chinese power.

Tuesday
12 January 2010

China Validates Missile Defense as a Policy & Technology
(PRNewswire/USNewswire)
The Chairman and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA) made the following comments in regard to the successful deployment, launch and intercept of a missile with its new self-defense missile defense system, “China now becomes the 12^th nation with a deployed active missile defense interceptor system protecting their homeland…”

Chinese Missile Defense Test
(Xinhua News Agency)
China conducted a test on ground-based midcourse missile interception technology within its territory on 11 January 2010. The test is defensive in nature and is not targeted at any country and achieved its expected objective.

With Defense Test, China Shows Displeasure with United States
(The New York Times)
Even if news accounts on Tuesday did not provide details about the test — and whether it destroyed its intended target — Chinese and Western analysts say there is no mistaking that the timing of the test, coming amid Beijing’s fury over American arms sale of Patriot air defense equipment  to Taiwan.

Clinton Tries to Defuse Asian Tension
(The New York Times)
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton kicked off her travels this year, as she did last year, by flying across the Pacific rather than the Atlantic. But this time, her itinerary is more urgent. With tensions rising between the United States and both Japan and China, Asia has emerged as a diplomatic hornet’s nest, even beyond the perennial threat of North Korea.

Monday
11 January 2010

Northrop Wins $577 Million Army Contract
(Los Angeles Business Journal)
A team of Northrop Grumman Corporation contractors has won a U.S. Army contract to develop an integrated air- and missile-defense battle command system.