WASHINGTON -- The United States is examining different types of missile defense technology that could be deployed in Europe, the head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said today (see GSN, July 10).
(Jul. 14) -
U.S. Missile Defense Agency chief Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly, shown last month, today said Washington was considering various options for placing missile defenses in Europe (Jewel Samad/Getty Images).
The congressionally mandated Ballistic Missile Defense Review "is looking at different European options" for missile defense, according to Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly. Lawmakers are expected to receive the study in December, he said this morning at a Defense Writers Group breakfast.
The review will examine "all aspects of missile defense planning, programs, operations and requirements" within the Pentagon, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn told the Senate Armed Services Committee last month.
U.S. President Barack Obama has yet to formally say whether his administration will pursue the Bush administration plan to place 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar site in the Czech Republic. Obama has said his decision would be based on the cost-effectiveness and efficacy of the technology and on the missile threat posed by Iran.
The United States expects to finish considering the plan by the end of the summer and to first share its conclusions privately with Polish, Czech and NATO officials, Assistant Secretary of State Stephen Mull said last week (see GSN, July 9).
O'Reilly said he has received "absolutely no indication at this point" that the United States is taking firm steps toward an alternate deployment strategy. If it did, the decision would be made after "full discussions" with both European governments. "So there would not be any surprise," he said.
O'Reilly said that pending decision is a "subset" of the overall ballistic missile review, which agency spokesman Rick Lehner described as a White House and Pentagon effort. The general said he has not made a recommendation on the matter, nor has he been asked.
Lehner declined to comment on what possible technological options are being examined. He did mention the sea-based Standard Missile 3 as a system likely to be considered in the review.
O'Reilly told reporters today that in 2007 he had visited a "very impressive" Russian radar facility at Gabala, Azerbaijan, that would "provide augmented capability to what we have already developed in our sensor systems."
Washington has also sought to involve Moscow in the missile shield plan, in hopes of overcoming Russia's long-standing opposition to the European missile defenses. The Kremlin has argued that the system would pose a threat to its strategic security, and has threatened to install short-range missiles near Poland should the U.S. technology be deployed.
Last week, O'Reilly called for the United States to develop a "full partnership" on missile defense with Russia through an approach that would "lay out ideas" rather than propose a "fully developed plan" (see GSN, July 10).
"The ability to share sensor data is one that the Russians have previously expressed an interest in and it is one we can definitely benefit from," according to O'Reilly. He also vigorously endorsed the idea of a Joint Data Exchange Center, which would enable the two countries to share information on missile launches.