U.S. scraps missile defense shield plans

[Thomas]

Reports: U.S. scraps missile defense shield plans

(CNN) -- The United States has suspended Bush-administration plans for a missile defense shield in Poland, a spokeswoman for the Polish Ministry of Defense said Thursday.
The U.S. has been testing the ability of ground-based interceptor missiles to hit long-range ballistic missiles.

The U.S. has been testing the ability of ground-based interceptor missiles to hit long-range ballistic missiles. "This is catastrophic for Poland," said the spokeswoman, who declined to be named in line with ministry policy.

A spokeswoman at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, however, said the decision had not been finalized.

"At this point, the review (of the decision) is still ongoing," said Jeanne Brigante, the embassy's press attache. "We don't have an announcement of a decision yet."

The Wall Street Journal reported overnight that the White House will shelve plans to build the system in Poland and the Czech Republic, according to people familiar with the matter.

The paper said the United States will base its decision on a determination that Iran's long-range missile program has not progressed as rapidly as previously estimated, reducing the threat to the continental United States and major European capitals, according to current and former U.S. officials.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Gen. James E. Cartwright, who is vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are scheduled to hold a news conference on Thursday morning. The Defense Department has not announced what will be discussed, but Cartwright is the point man for the missile defense shield program.
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In the Czech Republic, a meeting was planned for Thursday among the Czech Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Defense and a U.S. delegation, at which an analysis of the defense shield would be presented, a spokesman for the Czech Ministry of Defense and U.S. Embassy spokesman John Vance told CNN. The defense ministry spokesman did not say the program had been scrapped.
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There was no comment Thursday morning from officials in Russia, which has opposed the U.S. plans to build the missile shield so close to its western border. The United States proposed the plan under then-President W. George Bush; the Obama administration has since been reviewing the plan.

The missile shield issue came up in July during a meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow. Obama maintained that Russia had nothing to fear from such a system, which would be designed to intercept a solitary missile from Iran or North Korea, as opposed to "a mighty Russian arsenal."

 

[r3alist]

big big news if they do scrap it.

it will be a signal that relations with russia are changing or they are taking a new approach, its hard to ascertain anything right now.


from a pak point of view, it would have been better if the US did hawkishly push this through, it might tie up or stretch the us with the old bear.

 

[Thomas]

it probably has more to do with the deployment of the early warning radar in Israel. There is no longer a need for the European bases. The Israel radar can reach into most of Iran and monitor all aircraft traffic and missile firings. couple that with the U.S. forcing Israel to scrap the arrow 3 in favor of the standard missile 3 system. and Israel will have a very effective deterrent to Iran's missiles. Plus the U.S. scores political points with Russia for not going ahead in Europe. it will also pinpoint SAM locations when they fire. If there is an Iran strike on the nuclear facilities.

 

[r3alist]

sorry, i dont buy the iran angle, its russia who are most worried about this, not the iranians, it would effect russia more, not the iranians.

 

[Thomas]

sorry, i dont buy the iran angle, its russia who are most worried about this, not the iranians, it would effect russia more, not the iranians.

the whole shield was conceived as deterrent against Iran. if it was Russia they would have been basing more then just 10 interceptors. the low number of interceptors is easily overwhelmed by a country such as Russia.

 

[r3alist]

the whole shield was conceived as deterrent against Iran. if it was Russia they would have been basing more then just 10 interceptors. the low number of interceptors is easily overwhelmed by a country such as Russia.

the fact is they would nullify part of russias existing nuclear arsenal and would do nothing against irans non-existent one.

this changes the equation for russia meaning they would in all liklihood have to respond to ensure their detterence levels are sufficient.

 

[Thomas]

the fact is they would nullify part of russias existing nuclear arsenal and would do nothing against irans non-existent one.

this changes the equation for russia meaning they would in all liklihood have to respond to ensure their detterence levels are sufficient.

I disagree, Russia seemed more concerned about the radars being able to have such a large view of their territory.

 

[r3alist]

I disagree, Russia seemed more concerned about the radars being able to have such a large view of their territory.

well yes, there are other factors, that also is a big one, the main point being that it changes the equation for russia and they (rightly) feel it undermines their security.

 

[graphican]

USA has tested a new approach of using Lasers to intercept an incoming missile. That approach not only gives USA a cheapest defense but USA would have ability to make multiple attempts to destroy any incoming object as it hardly takes 8 from Identification of such missile to its destruction.

USA would not overthrow its defense shield just imagining it doesn't need it anymore. The missile-to-missile interception system might remain in the backup but it is likely the laser defense shield would take precedence over the earlier one.