http://www.geostrategy-direct.com/geostrategy-direct/secure/2010/11_03/ba.as p?
Gates outlines missile defense plan for all NATO allies vs Iran threat U.S. and allied missile defenses are moving forward with the Obama administration's development of regional missile defenses against Iranian long-range missiles, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Oct. 18. Gates said in a speech that one of the most important critical new weapons capabilities that NATO needs to build up is missile defense, specifically the so-called phased adaptive approach using a layer of sea-based and ground-based missile defense systems, including the SM-3 on ships and in the ground and the Patriot PAC-3 ground-based systems. "This approach offers a territorial missile defense system based on proven technologies that can be adapted to meet future dangers and protect the steadily increasing swath of NATO territory," Gates said. "As the threat from ballistic missiles grows, so will the scope and effectiveness of NATO's defenses against them. Our objective is the fullest possible coverage of NATO allies and, over time, to provide coverage for all of NATO." Gates said the first phase of deploying sea-based SM-3 missile defenses will be completed next year and the second phase will be finished in 2015 that will include upgraded, ground-based SM-3s in Romania in addition to the ship-based missile interceptors. "Phases three and four will deploy even more advanced interceptors, including a second land-based interceptor site in Poland," Gates said. "Overall, this approach provides the alliance with a great deal of flexibility to protect against the range of threats posed by ballistic missiles and to adapt as new threats develop and old ones recede." Gates urged Turkey, which is gradually turning away from NATO and favoring Iran and other Islamist states, to support NATO's missile defense efforts. Turkey is opposing NATO missile defenses in Europe and is demanding proof the system will not exclusively target Iran. "Within this frame, we do not lean towards the idea of defining countries like Iran, Syria and Russia as threats," a Turkish foreign ministry official told London's Telegraph newspaper. Jim Townsend, deputy assistant defense secretary for Europe/NATO policy said earlier in a speech Oct. 12 there are growing concerns about missile threats, including those from Iran and Syria. "We don't know where that threat is coming from, but we need an insurance policy here," he said. "We can't wait until the unknown threat becomes known and is upon us before we try to build something that takes care of our security." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [email protected]. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [email protected] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtmlYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
