The United States remains committed to all four phases of the European Phased Adaptive Approach to missile defense and will not accept limits in capabilities and locations of these systems, according to top State and Defense Department officials.
“We cannot agree to preconditions outlined by the Russian government and we cannot agree to any limitations on missile defense deployment,” State Department Special Envoy for Strategic Stability and Missile Defense Ellen Tauscher told reporters yesterday during a conference call. “We are able to agree, however, on a political statement that our missile defenses are not directed at Russia.”
Tauscher and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs Madelyn Creedon are leading a U.S. delegation participating in a Russian Ministry of Defense conference on missile defense today and Friday in Moscow. Tauscher said there are approximately eight people in the U.S. delegation. Approximately 50 countries have sent representatives to this meeting, Creedon said.
“Russia’s participation in the European missile defense system would result in a more capable system and we could combine our missile defense systems in areas where we have overlapping capabilities like sensors,” Tauscher said.
Tauscher said it is important that the two nations continue talking as Russia is exiting a presidential season and the United States is entering one.
“I wouldn’t say we’re at a stalemate in any case. We know what the areas of concern and questions are, but because many of them are technical and some are political, it’s important we continue these technical and expert conversations moving towards the opportunity for cooperation in the future,” Tauscher said.
According to a State Department release, the four EPAA phases are:
· Deploying a land-based AN/TPY-2 radar and existing Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense- (BMD) capable ships equipped with proven SM-3 Block IA interceptors for the 2011 timeframe. The United States announced in March 2011 the deployment of the USS Monterey (CG-61) to the Mediterranean to begin a sustained deployment of Aegis BMD-capable ships, according a State Department release. Raytheon [RTN] produces the SM-3 missile while Lockheed Martin [LMT] builds the Aegis BMD ships;
· Deploying a more capable version of the SM-3 Interceptor (Block IB) and adding a land-based SM-3 BMD interceptor in Romania in the 2015 timeframe to defend against short- and medium-range missile threats;
· Deploying a more advanced SM-3 (Block IIA) interceptor and a second land-based SM-3 site in Poland in the 2018 timeframe to control short-, medium- and intermediate-range missile threats;
· Deploying the SM-3 Block IIB interceptor in the 2020 timeframe to enhance the U.S.’ ability to counter medium- and intermediate-range missiles and potential future ICBM threats to the United States from the Middle East.
To allay certain concerns, the State Department said the SM-3 interceptors are for defensive purposes only and have no offensive capability. The missiles carry no explosive warheads of any type, and rely on their kinetic energy to collide with and destroy incoming enemy ballistic missile warheads. The SM-3 Interceptors based in Romania will not be used for flight tests, and will be launched only in defense against an actual attack (Defense Daily, Sept. 14, 2011).