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MDAA Alert: U.S. European Missile Defense April 4, 2011
Dear Members and Friends,
MDAA has
released a one-page independent overview of our nation's current missile
defense posture in Europe to the members of the 112th Untied States Congress.
This educational paper leverages MDAA's recent visit to Europe. The United
States military today has over 100,000 troops and civilian support deployed to
forward operating bases in Europe.
There are many security challenges to Europe one of them being missile defense.
The NATO Allies recognized this growing threat at the Lisbon Summit in
November, declaring that they have "decided to develop a missile defense
capability to protect all NATO European populations, territory and forces, and
invited Russia to cooperate with us ..."
The U.S. is moving forward with phase one of the four step Phased Adaptive
Approach (PAA), their contribution to European missile defense. The U.S. Navy's
Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system is the foundation and primary capability
of the European PAA.
Included
below is the text of the paper. A formatted version of the
paper can be found here.
What
We Are Protecting
U.S.
missile defense systems are currently defending Europe, Turkey, Israel and U.S.
military forward operating bases, including more than 100,000 members of the
U.S. armed forces stationed there. President Obama has promised 100 percent
coverage of Europe from ballistic missiles by 2018 and a forward based missile
defense system in Europe to provide some capability to defend the U.S. homeland
from Iranian ICBMs by 2020. The forward basing of U.S. missile defense systems
that provide early tracking and a first shot capability on long range missiles
in Europe and/or Turkey would add critical capability to defend the U.S.
homeland, especially the Eastern Seaboard, and all of Europe.
The
Threat
Iran is
the main threat to the region, not only from its own arsenal but though the
proliferation of its systems to neighboring states. They have the capability to
strike Israel, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and parts of Romania with the Shahab-3
and Kadair-1 ballistic missiles deployed in Tabriz. The Iranian government continues to develop, test, and
deploy longer range missiles and in 2010, U.S. intelligence stated that the
long-range ballistic missile threat from Iran could develop by 2015. The
current instability of the Middle East and Africa, caused by the recent unrest
and the NATO led coalition enforcing UN Resolution 1973, in conjunction with
UAE and Qatar, has the potential to escalate into the use of missiles and
rockets in the region. At least thirteen countries in the region, including
Syria, Yemen, and Libya, have inventories with ballistic missile or rocket
capabilities. Additionally, Israel can be threatened by missiles and rockets
from Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Egypt.
U.S.
Capability in Europe
Our
small, active capability in Europe consists of at least one Aegis Ballistic
Missile Defense (BMD) 3.6.1 ship with a small number of Standard Missile-3
(SM-3) Block IA missiles in the Mediterranean Sea and a limited inventory of
mobile Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Batteries that can be deployed
from Germany and Poland within days. Both of these systems are proven against
the short-range Scud type missiles prolific throughout the region. To support
these systems there is a command, control, battle management and communications
(C2BMC) center based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. There is an AN/TPY-2 radar
in Israel providing early sensor protection for Israel only. By the end of 2011
an AN/TPY-2 forward based radar will be deployed in the region that will
provide early detection and tracking of Iranian missiles. This radar will
provide a "launch on remote" capability for Aegis BMD Ships,
providing an extended
area of defense. It will also provide initial tracking and discrimination of
Iranian long- and intermediate-range missiles heading to the U.S. homeland and
Northern Europe.
Challenges
and Concerns
· High demand for
ballistic missile defense forces for Europe
· Not enough current
capability in place, including sensors, interceptors, launchers, batteries and
ships to provide adequate protection from current regional threats against
Southern Europe, Turkey, Israel and the U.S. armed forces stationed there.
· Serious budget and technical
challenges to meeting European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) timelines that
can be overcome with more funding and extending the timelines.
· Deployment decision
to be made of the AN/TYP-2 radar in Turkey or Europe in order to make the EPAA
schedule by end of 2011. If the radar is not to be deployed in Turkey what are
the consequences.
· Inadequate number of
layered missile defense systems to protect Israel and overcome multiple missile
saturation.
· Forward-based
hedging strategy in Europe if Iran deploys medium-, intermediate- or long-range
missiles prior to 2015 or EPAA critical timelines are delayed due to budget and
technical issues.
· Funding and
technical shortfalls in providing adequate "engage on remote" and
"launch on remote" sensors for Europe; such as Airborne Infrared,
X-band radars and PTSS Satellites for birth to death tracking from space.
· Testing, development
and deployment timelines of the SM-3 Block IIA missiles with complete
integrated sensor architecture to allow "engage on remote".
· C2BMC and fire
control interoperability with all sensors and interceptors deployed in the
European theater.
· THAAD and Patriot
Battery deployment plans for force protection of Aegis Ashore sites in Romania
and Poland, AN/TPY-2 forward based radars and forward operating bases in Europe
and Turkey
· Integration and
Interoperability with NATO member lower tier missile defense assets in sensors
and interceptors such as Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Greece and the
Netherlands
· NATO's willingness
to share the cost and manning burden of the lower tier missile defense
commitment of NATO.
· Information sharing with Allies and Russian cooperation.
Respectfully,
Riki Ellison
Chairman & Founder
Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance
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