Missile shield 'up and running in five years'
http://www.smh.com.au/artic...
Missile shield 'up and running in five years'
By Dominic Evans in London
November 21 2002
The United States says it will have an effective missile defence system up and running within five years, possibly in partnership with NATO or a European agency.
The US military officer leading the project, Lieutenant-General Ronald Kadish, said extensive tests had shown the technology behind the missile shield, designed to knock out missiles fired by "rogue states" with interceptor missiles, genuinely worked.
"We no longer need to experiment, to demonstrate or prevaricate. We need to get on with this and I'm confident we will," General Kadish told a conference on missile defence in London on Tuesday.
"Some time in the next five years or so we will have effective defences against a multiple range of threats."
Answering charges that the program, which has already cost tens of billions of dollars in research and development, would prove too expensive, he said allies could come under its protective umbrella without a hefty cash payment.
"We have offered potential partners government-to-government agreements, in-kind investments - not necessarily monetary," General Kadish said.
"Or we could co-operate with entities such as NATO or a European missile defence agency, or some other construct that might arise out of this discussion."
By netchicken:
posted on 21-11-2002 Missile shield 'up and running in five years'
By Dominic Evans in London
November 21 2002
The United States says it will have an effective missile defence system up and running within five years, possibly in partnership with NATO or a European agency.
The US military officer leading the project, Lieutenant-General Ronald Kadish, said extensive tests had shown the technology behind the missile shield, designed to knock out missiles fired by "rogue states" with interceptor missiles, genuinely worked.
"We no longer need to experiment, to demonstrate or prevaricate. We need to get on with this and I'm confident we will," General Kadish told a conference on missile defence in London on Tuesday.
"Some time in the next five years or so we will have effective defences against a multiple range of threats."
Answering charges that the program, which has already cost tens of billions of dollars in research and development, would prove too expensive, he said allies could come under its protective umbrella without a hefty cash payment.
"We have offered potential partners government-to-government agreements, in-kind investments - not necessarily monetary," General Kadish said.
"Or we could co-operate with entities such as NATO or a European missile defence agency, or some other construct that might arise out of this discussion."