Cannot play media. You do not have the correct version of the flash player. Download the correct version
Chuck Hagel: "The American people should be assured our interceptors are effective"
US
Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has scrapped the final phase of its
European missile defence shield, citing development problems and funding
cuts.
Upgraded interceptors were to have been deployed in Poland to
counter medium- and intermediate-range missiles, and potential threats
from the Middle East.Mr Hagel said the threat had "matured" and that the US commitment to Nato missile defence remained "ironclad".
The interceptors had been strongly opposed by the Russian government.
It complained that they would be able to stop Russia's intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and undermine its nuclear deterrent.
The US has always insisted that the missile shield was intended to protect against attacks by Iran and North Korea.
Analysts said Friday's announcement could open the door to another round of talks between the US and Russia on nuclear arms reductions.
'Shifting resources' The dropping of the fourth and final phase of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) for missile defence was announced quietly at a news conference, reports the BBC's Matt Wells in Washington.
Almost as an aside, Mr Hagel confirmed that in order to fund 14 new Ground-Based Interceptors (GBIs) in Alaska by 2017 to guard against increased threats from North Korea, the SM-3 IIB programme - a land-based standard missile - would be "restructured", our correspondent adds.
"The purpose was to add to the protection of the US homeland already provided by our current GBIs against missile threats from the Middle East," Mr Hagel said.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
Chuck Hagel US Defence SecretaryLet me emphasise the strong and continued commitment of the United States to Nato missile defence”
"The timeline for deploying this
programme had been delayed to at least 2022 due to cuts in
Congressional funding. Meanwhile, the threat matures.
eddy.............................
No comments:
Post a Comment