Blog

 
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report questioning the effectiveness of ground-based missile defense interceptors the U.S. plans to deploy to Poland under an agreement signed by Poland and the U.S. last year. (Source)

The U.S. agreed to deploy missile shields to Poland and the Czech Republic to counter missile threats from rogue countries like Iran, but those plans are in doubt. President Barack Obama apparently is not committed to moving forward. While the GAO is an independent agency, that is no guarantee of fair and credible evaluations of Pentagon programs. For example, a recent GAO report supposedly identified a $21 billion overrun in a Pentagon program. In response, Lt. Gen N. Ross Thompson III, military deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology said, “I don’t know where they came up with the figure. I don’t know where it came from.” (Source)

Another issue raised by the GAO report is the effectiveness of our ability to detect decoys. This criticism doesn’t make sense when we consider that Iran hasn’t developed a ballistic warhead decoy system. Developing the ability to detect decoys likely would serve as a deterrent to Iran. In any case, we will improve this ability should Iran or North Korea deploy decoys.

For more information about missile defense, see the companion reader to the 33 Minutes documentary.

*The Pentagon takes the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to task in a new 60-page study. The Institute for Defense Analyses carried out an independent study of the MDA to examine and make recommendations about long-term missions, roles, and structure.

The MDA is directed, among other things, to develop missile defense systems. But the MDA’s rapid development and deployment of the systems have come at the expense of planning and preparation, the Pentagon concludes. The report recommends the MDA re-focus on research. Download the report in PDF. (The Huffington Post)

*The AFP reported in September that the island nation of Taiwan would not deploy missiles capable of hitting Shanghai, China. This week the AFP reported that Taiwan plans to make up to 300 Hsiungfeng 2E cruise missiles. China lays claim to Taiwan, but it’s governed separately and has been since 1949. Should Taiwan decide to become independent, China most likely will threaten war. (AFP)

*Public Survey on Missile Defense – The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, formed after the September 11 terrorist attacks, has published a series of public survey results. These results are presented in Power Point and Word documents. To find out what Americans, Poles, and Czechs think about missile defense, visit the survey page.

*U.S. military sources reported that a fire occurring on May 23 at a nuclear facility burned undetected for five days. The fire, which resulted in $1.4 million worth of damage, was caused by a bad battery charger. (Herald Sun)

*The MDA’s General Henry Obering said he’s concerned about the ratification of the agreement between the U.S. and Poland to build a missile defense system in Poland. Finalized some months ago, the agreement must be approved by parliament. Democrats in Congress have threatened to withhold funding until the Polish parliament ratifies the agreement.

“If we get ratification by the end of this year,” Obering said, “we will still not be able to put an interceptor on the ground in Poland until 2012.” (AFP)