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Pentagon plans second missile defence system
Washington, Dec 19: Close on the heels of President George W Bush`s announcement of a national missile defence system for the United States, it was today revealed that Pentagon is planning a second missile defence apparatus.
Washington, Dec 19: Close on the heels of President George W Bush's announcement of a national missile defence system for the United States, it was today revealed that Pentagon is planning a second missile defence apparatus.
The second system being planned will be based at an interceptor site in Maine, oriented towards missile threats from Europe and the Middle East, US administration officials were today quoted as saying.
Additionally, interceptors could be set up in Britain, Hungary or Poland, NATO allies whose governments privately have indicated they would be willing to co-operate with and provide bases for a missile defence system, Washington Times reported.
The NMD announced by Bush on Tuesday had called for deploying a single system with 16 interceptor missiles at Fort Greeley, Alaska, by 2004 and four interceptors at Vandenberg air force base in California by 2005, mainly to defend US against long-range missile attacks from North Korea or China.
But the CIA estimates that Iran, Iraq, Libya and Syria could also emerge as long-range missile threats and that the initial west coast system will be unable to knock out missiles from those countries, officials said.
More interceptor sites, therefore, will be needed and could be built in the 2010-2015 time frame, they told Times.
Iran now has the Shahab-3 medium range missile which can reach Europe but not the U.S. However, US intelligence agencies believe that Iran is also working on an intercontinental range missile, though Tehran has denied it.
The U.S. missile defence plans also call for deploying three warships equipped with the aegis battle management system and SM-3 interceptor missiles. Bureau Report
Additionally, interceptors could be set up in Britain, Hungary or Poland, NATO allies whose governments privately have indicated they would be willing to co-operate with and provide bases for a missile defence system, Washington Times reported.
The NMD announced by Bush on Tuesday had called for deploying a single system with 16 interceptor missiles at Fort Greeley, Alaska, by 2004 and four interceptors at Vandenberg air force base in California by 2005, mainly to defend US against long-range missile attacks from North Korea or China.
But the CIA estimates that Iran, Iraq, Libya and Syria could also emerge as long-range missile threats and that the initial west coast system will be unable to knock out missiles from those countries, officials said.
More interceptor sites, therefore, will be needed and could be built in the 2010-2015 time frame, they told Times.
Iran now has the Shahab-3 medium range missile which can reach Europe but not the U.S. However, US intelligence agencies believe that Iran is also working on an intercontinental range missile, though Tehran has denied it.
The U.S. missile defence plans also call for deploying three warships equipped with the aegis battle management system and SM-3 interceptor missiles. Bureau Report