ABL Shifts Back To Solid-Fuel Targets

 

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is planning a shootdown attempt by the 747-400F-based Airborne Laser against a solid-fuel target by the end of this month, according to MDA spokesman Rick Lehner.

Officials close to the program say that flight testing will shift back to solid-fueled targets for the time being. The likely target in the upcoming test is a Terrier Black Brant unguided sounding rocket, which was the first target engaged in February by ABL and mimics the early flight phases of a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM).

A planned test in October will attempt a shootdown of a solid-fueled target at three times the range of the February engagement, Lehner says.

North Korea: McCain presses for answers on its nuclear capability

 

Even though fighting on the Korean Peninsula ended in 1953, the North and South remain technically at war, and today, security in the region is “deteriorating dramatically.”

This is according to Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, who in a Thursday hearing leveled a striking charge: “In the past 18 months, the North Korean regime has tried twice – that we know of – to ship arms to Iran.”

Throughout the day’s testimony, Senator McCain made an effort to draw out US defense officials on the relationship between the North Korean regime and Iran. He suggested a link between the Middle Eastern foe and North Korea’s decision to use one of its submarines to torpedo the South Korean ship Cheonan in March, resulting in the loss of 46 sailors.

Kerry and DeMint spar over missile defense

At today’s Senate Foreign Relations committee business meeting on New START, chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Republican Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) got into an open argument about whether the United States should build a giant missile defense system to protect every American citizen around the world.

That’s the idea put forth by DeMint in an amendment to the resolution of ratification that the committee is considering, in advance of a full senate debate and vote on the nuclear reductions treaty after the November elections. DeMint said at the meeting that if the United States is going to draw down its nuclear arsenal, it should commit to building missile defense such that every U.S. citizen and all U.S. troops abroad are protected.

“This START agreement does not defend the people of the United States,” DeMint said. “This amendment commits us and the United States of America to defend the United States to the best of our ability with a missile defense system capable of shooting down multiple missiles.”

Defense minister says US missile shield targets Russia

Russia and the United States agreed to discuss US plans to deploy a missile shield in Europe, but Moscow reiterated fears it is aimed against it.

“At the talks with (US Defense Secretary) Robert Gates we agreed to set up a three-tier system of interaction related to the missile shield problem,” Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Thursday. He said the system begins with experts and goes up to the chiefs-of-staff and then to defense ministers. If all the three tiers disagree “the presidents will make a political decision.”

Missile defense key to boosting Russia ties: NATO

 Russian participation in a planned missile defense shield in Europe could open the door to progress in other areas such as reducing nuclear and conventional weapons, the head of NATO will say on Friday.

But in a speech he will make in Rome, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen will underline that the large Russian military presence in breakaway territories of Georgia and Moscow’s plan to station missiles there are stumbling blocks to such goals.

Rasmussen invited Russia on Wednesday to hold talks with the 28 NATO states at an alliance summit in November at which he wants the Western allies to agree to link existing missile defense systems and to formally invite Moscow to participate.

U.S. Nuclear Arms Treaty With Russia Backed by Senate Panel in 14-4 Vote

President Barack Obama gained the support of three Republican lawmakers and won a U.S. Senate committee’s backing for a treaty with Russia to reduce each nation’s nuclear weapons arsenals.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 14-4 today to send the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty to the full Senate for ratification with a statement intended to ease Republican concerns. Republicans said the deal would limit U.S. plans to deploy missile defenses and questioned whether Obama had an adequate plan to maintain an effective nuclear force.

The committee adopted a resolution of approval drafted by Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the panel. Lugar was joined by Republicans Bob Corker of Tennessee and Johnny Isakson of Georgia in voting to support the treaty.