Key US General Soothes Russian Concerns on Missile Defense, Nuclear Weapons

A top U.S. general on Wednesday sought to sooth Russia’s concerns over the U.S. nuclear stockpile and a new American missile shield being set up in Eastern Europe.

Pentagon Leaders Consider Options for East Coast Missile Defense System

Pentagon leaders are looking at options to bolster missile defense capabilities in the continental United States, including the establishment of a missile shield on the East Coast, a top military commander said on Wednesday.

Carter: DOD Puts Strategy Before Budget for Future Force

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2012 – The Defense Department has placed strategy before budget in facing present and anticipated threats while building its joint force for the future, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said here today. 

Modern Warfare

Combative Training with the U.S. Army and the 35th ADA Brigade in Osan AFB Korea this morning, modern warfare that has been introduced in combatives as does modern warfare with missile defense.

Rafael Seeks to Boost Range of Iron Dome

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 29 (UPI) – Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is reported to be striving to boost the range of the Iron Dome counter-rocket system so it can help intercept longer-range weapons.

This appears to be a stopgap measure to cover holes in Israel’s planned multilayered missile defense system until David’s Sling, another system under development by state-owned Rafael and the U.S. Raytheon Co., becomes operational, The Jerusalem Post reports.

The Israelis are focusing on technological upgrades for the system, as well as amending the operational doctrine of the air force, which has charge of the emerging missile shield.

Iron Dome, designed to counter missiles and rockets with ranges of 2.5-43 miles, is capable of determining which projectiles will hit populated areas and targets them.

Each interceptor, small rockets called Tamirs, cost $50,000-$100,000 which are usually fired in pairs to ensure a kill.

“This is significant since it would allow us to intercept more rockets with fewer batteries,” a senior defense officer told the Post.

A modified system underwent a series of tests to determine the feasibility of using Iron Dome against longer-range missiles.

The air force currently has four Iron Dome batteries, each with three launchers armed with 20 Tamirs apiece. It plans to deploy another two in the coming months but military planners say as many as 20 batteries are needed to provide effective protection for the entire country.

On May 17, the Pentagon announced a quick-fix $70 million for Israel to buy at least two more Iron Dome batteries.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that would meet Israel’s requirements regarding Iron Dome for fiscal 2012. That allocation is part of an overall package of nearly $1 billion for the missile defense shield Israel’s putting together.

With both countries slashing defense spending because of global recession, there’s talk of transforming Israel’s development of missile defense systems by Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael into jointly owned and managed ventures with U.S. defense companies that would give the Americans direct access to advanced Israeli missile technology.

Iron Dome is the only operational system in the world capable of intercepting short-range rockets and mortar shells, with a computer that can detect which incoming missiles will hit populated areas and disregard those that won’t.

Barak disclosed that the United States, despite plans to cut defense spending by $600 billion in fiscal 2013, is discussing the possibility of setting up a multiyear budget with Israel under which it would purchase further Iron Dome batteries.

This will likely limit Israel’s ability to export these systems, since the United States is able to veto sales of weapons systems incorporating U.S. components to foreign countries.

But, given the budgetary constraints the Israeli Defense Ministry is having to cope with, the Israelis no doubt welcome U.S. assistance, which is over and above the $3 billion they get in U.S. military aid every year

Israel’s military and defense industry is under growing pressure to develop an inter-linked defense shield as Syria, Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian hard-liners in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip amass large amounts of missiles and rockets.

Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh, the Israeli deputy chief of staff, told a Tel Aviv convention May 22 that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah now has an estimated 60,000 missiles and rockets, hundreds of them capable of hitting anywhere in Israel.

That’s five times the number Hezbollah had at the start of its 2006 war with Israel, during which it unleashed nearly 4,000 missiles on northern Israel.

Brig. Gen. Itay Baron, commander of the Military Intelligence’s research wing, told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee a week ago that Syria and Iran have 3,500 large-caliber missiles aimed at Israel.

Iron Dome is designed to shoot down rockets and missiles with a range of up to 43 miles and has done so with some success since it made its combat debut in April 2011.

But there’s no system for countering missiles with a range of up to 190 miles and won’t be until David’s Sling enters service in 2013.

The top tier is the Arrow-2, built by state-owned IAI to counter ballistic missiles at high altitudes. A more advanced variant, the Arrow-3, is currently under development by IAI and the U.S. Boeing Co.

Ventured down to the south of Korea on Highway 1 today through green mountains of heavy vegetation to the city of Wigwam where US Army Fort Carroll is located. The 2-1 ADA Battalion defending the south is located there, “Stand or Die” is there Motto

“Freedom is not Free”

In respect to our nation’s annual Memorial Day tribute to all of those that have sacrificed and to their families, their friends and their communities, MDAA was honored to visit the Korean War Memorial in Seoul, South Korea to lay respect to those Americans that sacrificed their lives on the foreign soil in Korea as well as the total of 4 Million that were sacrificed between 1945 and 1953, in fighting for the freedom for the now 50 million people of South Korea.

There are no words strong enough to neither suffice and honor the fallen and their families nor ease the pain of suffering. Between the bronze statues here in Seoul Korea, lay chiseled in white speckled granite the words “Freedom is not Free.”

Like our other memorialized United States engagements of sacrifices thousands of miles away from the soils of our own nation, they are unheralded though they have provided freedom for hundreds of millions that live with those freedoms today.

The United States as a nation, especially through these tough economic times, should always sacrifice resources, always deploy our forces forward and always apply the diplomatic efforts necessary to secure what those freedoms were sacrificed for and most of all so we may strive as a nation to prevent more sacrifices.

“Talk Softly and Carry a Big Stick”

After a successful missile test of the newest sea based interceptor, the SM3 Block IB off of a U.S. Aegis 4.0.1 Ship last week, proving the foundation for ballistic missile defense of Europe over the next few years, momentum led to a anticipated significant declaration by NATO Secretary General Anders Rasmussen at the NATO Summit in Chicago that the first phase of the EPAA is in place.

Phase one of the European Phased Adaptive Approach relies on three major missile defense platforms; a sensor forward in Turkey, a shooter afloat on the Mediterranean and a Command/Battle Management Center in Germany to gather, control and send targeting information from the U.S. radar in Turkey to the U.S. Aegis BMD capable Ship in the Mediterranean. This scenario provides an extension of the range of the sea based interceptors and a earlier intercept then the Aegis BMD Ship could do on its own, thus providing the fundamental concept of protecting all of NATO that will grow to expand in faster, more capable defensive interceptors on more advanced sea and land based platforms with substantial increased expansive ranges of protection as the modernization and strategic deployment evolves and deploys over the next decade. As NATO Secretary General Rasmussen states in Chicago earlier this week “It is the first step towards our long-term goal of providing full coverage and protection for all NATO European populations, territory and forces.”

From a continuous U.S. Aegis BMD ship presence in the Mediterranean, which will soon be home ported with an additional three sister U.S. Aegis BMD ships in Rota, Spain, to the AN/TYP-2 Radar forward deployed in Turkey that is linked into the Command Control Battle Management Communications Center in Ramstein, Germany under NATO control and command, all three of these phase one assets are in place today, though not fully integrated as of yet , they are as NATO Secretary General Rasmussen declared “provisionally operational ” and “It will allow us to defend against threats from outside the Euro-Atlantic area.”

Against this significant momentous announcement which laid quiet in Chicago this week was the ominously more visible diplomatic sensitivities to Russia and their vocal concerns of missile defense as well as the amount of NATO contributions to the EPAA. Leading out of the summit was Pakistan with NATO and the U.S. current need for access to Afghanistan outside of Pakistan that would include cooperation with Russia which compounded the sensitivities on NATO Missile Defense to making relatively dormant in Chicago.

In true Russian diplomatic theatrical reaction to U.S. and NATO sensitivities which were duly ignored, the roar of the newly elected Russian President Vladimir Putin was heard as a 5th generation variant of an Russian ICMB ballistic missile was launched and successfully tested for the World to see, proclaiming their success to defeat NATO and U.S. Missile Defenses.

The Russian point is mute and remains so as none of the U.S. or NATO Missile Defense systems being deployed in Europe have the speed, orientation or capability to defeat Russian ICBMs targeting U.S. cities. The up to 30 U.S. Ground Based Interceptors which are deployed in Alaska and California, not in Europe do in fact have the speed, orientation and capability (though more testing is needed for confidence of the second generation GBIs) to defeat ICBMs including Russian ones that target United States cities and territory.

In true NATO response and reality, the NATO Secretary General Rasmussen stressed that Russia has no influence on the sovereign decision of NATO’s member states but still invited Moscow to co-operate in discussions on the subject.

In these austere economic times of reductions to the United States Military Defense Department, use of NATO military construction funding and support going towards Afghanistan, increasing numbers and proliferation of ballistic missile threats, and a projected 631 Billion dollar Defense Budget of which 9.2 billion of it is allocated to all U.S. Missile Defenses including the Homeland, the Middle East and Far East, does not amount enough to fully resource and provide adequate protection of Europe. This cost has to be shared with our NATO Allies both in joint integration and capabilities. Enabling US Aegis technologies to NATO countries and providing SM3 interceptors to launch from our NATO Navy forces so that they too can share with the United States in providing continuous capability in the seas surrounding Europe is a clear way to defray and reduce U.S. expenditures for the EPAA as well as help alleviate existing shortages of U.S. Navy Aegis BMD Ships in their global mission. NATO Countries such Norway, Spain, Netherlands and Germany could integrate their ships and systems to jointly defend and protect Europe with the United States.

What did happen this week was significant, the first phase of the ballistic missile defense of Europe and NATO is firmly in place declared by the NATO Secretary General against Russian objections. Missile Defense looks to be the binding glue for the future of NATO in this world of unpredictable threats.

Those quiet comments in Chicago earlier this week resounded in a course of making our world a safer place.

Fighting Fires with FIRES

Out on the prairie of Oklahoma, in the middle of America and on the historic post of Fort Sill, gathered over the past few days, were our nation’s brightest leaders of the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery and Field Artillery that are set in place for preventing conflict, shaping the future and winning conflict decisively if prevention fails. This most impressive cadre of deployed war fighting experience, strategic thought, utmost leadership, intellectual depth, allied respect and sensitivity was comprised of today’s U.S Army Generals, NCOs, Officers and Soldiers of the U.S. Army. Hosted by the FIRES center and the Commandant Major General Mark McDonald of which every U.S. Air Defense Artillery and Field Artillery soldier must pass through and obtain certification from the beginning, throughout and to the end of their professional career in arms.In today’s world of economic shifts, speed of change and unforeseen conflicts, where our nation will for the first time since the 1940′s, face conflicts that are necessary to prevent but also conflicts necessary to win for if prevention fails without our nation being the dominant economic power, we will have to influence with less, fight with less, yet still be expected to win.

Full integration of missions, immersed joint team effort and participation across all of the military services are true partnerships with our allies as well as our friends. Along with superior technical innovative capability and sustained forward U.S. military presence in key global locations that provide the critical tools to compete, to prevent conflict and to win if necessary without nuclear force against more embedded and wealthier opponents.

The reducing U.S. defense budget along with the shrinking U.S. Army due to the elimination of numerous combat brigade teams necessary for future combat is in contrast to the increasing value, importance, capability and growth of the U.S. Army Air & Missile Defense Command that is in place to prevent, shape and win for the direct mission of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army General Raymond Odierno.

The increasing offensive threats that come in the form of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and UAVs continue to proliferate substantially across the world, creating regional instability and put freedom of access and trade at risk. The vast offensive numbers continue to accelerate, increase in their sophistication, range and accuracy. That coupled with more dangerous payloads leaves the fact that the U.S. and its allies will never have enough missile defense capacity to equally match.

To deter effectively and to win decisively against the numerous threats if deterrence fails, offensive capability must be mixed with efficient and effective defensive capability. Using joint offensive direct and indirect targeting, kinetic and non-kinetic attacks to include cyber, during pre and post enemy use of ballistic missiles reverses the numerical advantage the enemy has.

Just as the “First to Fire” missile defense needs and depends on the “King of Battle” artillery and offensive force capability from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Special Forces, the U.S. Army maneuvering combat brigade teams and their assigned divisions need defense from rockets, mortars, UAVs, cruise and ballistic missiles to do their mission.

No longer is the U.S. Army Air & Missile Defense Command seen as secondary to its branch brother the “Field Artillery”. It is viewed in todays’ world by today’s key Combatant Commanders as a core necessity that is invaluable and is becoming a pivotal branch of the U.S. Army.

The most important asset to be coveted in the FIRES of the U.S. Army which remains and always will remain, not the high technical innovative systems but the leader development of all of the soldiers that command, manage and run the systems today and tomorrow.

The pride of these young leaders and their commanders were displayed in the recent re-designation of the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade to the 30th ADA Brigade that commands the missile defense school house at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, which is responsible for shaping each and every soldier in leadership of the missile defense branch of the U.S. Army.

Our nations FIRES, put out the fires of hostility and instability to make our nation and world safer.

Respectfully,
Riki Ellison
Chairman & Founder
Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance

Orient Express

Vertical climb, looking back through the oval window as the 777 jet engine spins and strains, heading East into the Orient of the Middle Kingdom. Below on the coat tails of the setting sun, Nippon immersed by water, neatly organized, modern mature civilization mixed with rice paddies in methodical rectangular blocks abundant throughout the waterways as too was the western luxury of lush green golf courses and the clear vulnerability to the winds of oceans that roll with impunity onto its edges.

A chain of islands, apart from the middle kingdom as of Great Britain from Europe. A nation protected by the seas, self developed, and western industrialized far ahead of its brethren to the East. As the U.S. Navy broke its virgin waters with gunboat diplomacy led by Commodore Perry in the mid 1800s to encourage a far east ally in stopping Russia and opening the Asia trade route, Japan took note and so did Puccini in the great opera Madam Butterfly. The heights of the opium trade across the sea into the only western opening of the Great Wall of Civilization in Pearl Delta to Canton that brought riches beyond riches to Queen Victoria and On Britania left Japan ignored by the great power during this speculative time.

This little island chain led two spectacular defeats of Russia, the first for a eastern power to defeat a modern day western power with a modern day Navy and a much more massive land Army over Mancheria and its westward expansion to halt Russia encouraged by President Teddy Rosevelt and a pacified proud Korea who President Rosevelt also promised to protect but turned benevolent when he sided with Russia after its defeat to Japan, there by giving Korea to Japan to rule and run for the next 40 years. Thereby setting the stage for the internal Russian Revolution that soon followed and the Japanese thirst for expansive power leading to and through WW II.

Crossing the Sea of Japan this early evening with far distant shimmering lights of ship traffic below looking like stars in the deep blue, brings the current alignments into bearing as like a hundred or so years ago, U.S. entrance and exit to the Middle Kingdom goes through Japan, as does mine does today on the Orient Express .