EEUU abandona parte de su plan de defensa antimisiles de Europa del Este
The United Stated is abandoning a key part of its Eastern European missile defense plan due to development problems and funding,
Soldados estadounidenses de pie delante de una batería de misiles Patriot en una base militar en la norteña ciudad polaca de Morag..
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Estados Unidos abandona una parte clave de su plan de defensa antimisiles de Europa del Este
Estados Unidos abandona una parte clave de su plan de defensa antimisiles de Europa del Este debido a problemas de desarrollo y financiación, el según el secretario de Defensa, Chuck Hagel, ha anunciado. El objetivo, dijo, se desplazará a las amenazas de Corea del Norte.
Varios interceptores de misiles en Polonia y Rumanía, el despliegue de los cuales habían sido fuente de fuertes críticas de Moscú, será desechado.
Hagel dijo a la prensa el viernes que la decisión fue tomada como parte de una reestructuración general de los planes de defensa antimisiles, con la intención de detener las amenazas desde Irán y Corea del Norte. La reestructuración del programa implicará el traslado de US$ 1,000 millones para unos 14 interceptores nuevos que se adicionan a los 26 ya existentes en Alaska para contrarrestar los posibles misiles de Corea del Norte.
Washington afirma que su decisión fue motivada por la necesidad de atender más rápido de lo previsto, el avance de Corea del Norte, en el desarrollo de armas nucleares. Al explicar la razón de ser de los planes iniciales de puestos antimisiles estadounidenses en Polonia y Rumania, Hagel dijo: "el objetivo era reforzar la protección del territorio de los EE.UU. que brindan los interceptores terrestres desplegados en suelo patrio, ante eventuales amenazas de misiles de Oriente Medio." Sin embargo, agregó: "Los cronogramas para la implementación de este programa se han retrasado por lo menos hasta 2022, debido a los recortes en la financiación del Congreso. Mientras tanto, al desplazar los recursos de este programa... vamos a ser capaces de añadir protección contra misiles tanto de Irán como de Corea del Norte ".
Sin embargo, los interceptores balísticos SM-3 Block IIB ubicados en Polonia y Rumanía, eran sólo un componente en un programa de misiles de defensa multifacética. Mientras la Fase 4 de interceptores ha sido relativizada, las fases 1 a 3 van a continuar según el calendario previsto.
"El despliegue de misiles de Estados Unidos se cumple para las fases 1 a 3 en el marco del European Phased Adaptive que incluye sitios en Polonia y Rumania, de manera que todavía será capaz de dar cobertura a todo el territorio europeo de la OTAN, como estaba previsto, a partir del año 2018", dijo Hagel.
Preocupaciones del Kremlin
El Kremlin siempre ha afirmado que el despliegue de los sistemas en su barrio fue destinado a contrarrestar misiles rusos y socavar su capacidad de disuasión nuclear, aunque Washington dijo que el sistema estaba dirigido a contrarrestar las amenazas de Irán.
Durante las negociaciones iniciales con el gobierno de George W. Bush, Moscú ofreció a Washington el uso de un sitio alternativo en Azerbaiyán con el fin de contrarrestar las amenazas iraníes que EE.UU. teme.
El escudo antimisiles también enfrentó una fuerte oposición interna en Polonia y Rumania, llevando al gobierno de Barack Obama, en 2009, a anunciar que cancelaba esos planes.
Sin embargo, un esquema reformulado fue anunciada un mes más tarde, en octubre de 2009, con planes para colocar más pequeño, móvil SM-3 interceptores de misiles balísticos en la región en 2018.
Además de la colocación de los interceptores, los funcionarios rusos también se opusieron a una instalación de radar en la República Checa. Tal base permite a las fuerzas estadounidenses y sus socios de la OTAN supervisar las actividades en el espacio aéreo de Rusia europea.
Hagel hizo hincapié en que otros componentes de los planes estadounidenses de defensa antimisiles en Europa continuarán, y que el compromiso de Washington en Europa "sigue siendo férreo", pero no hizo referencia a las objeciones del Kremlin al programa.
Un anónimo funcionario de alto rango del Departamento de Estado dijo a la agencia AP que mientras Polonia y Rumania fueron informadas de la decisión antes del anuncio, Rusia no lo estaba.
La primera fase (2011) - Despliegue del Sistema Contra Misiles Balísticos Aegis (Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense ABMD) un sistema de armas naval integrado desarrollado por la División de Misiles y Radares de Superficie de la RCA Corporation de EEUU. En 2011, el USS Monterey, equipado con interceptores de misiles balísticos SM-3 Block IA, fue desplegado y probado en el Mar Mediterráneo. Turquía aceptó acoger un radar de alerta temprana con base en tierra. En 2012, el sistema Aegis era funcional, según el cronograma del programa.
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La segunda fase (2015) - Despliegue de una mayor capacidad terrestre de interceptores de misiles balísticos SM-3 Block IB en Rumania.
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La tercera fase (2018) - Despliegue de un sistema adicional terrestre SM-3 Block IIA interceptor de misiles balísticos, de avanzada, en Polonia.
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La cuarta fase (2020) - Despliegue de un interceptor de misiles balísticos SM-3 Block IIB. Washington canceló esta fase el 15 de marzo de 2013.
http://rt.com/news/us-cancels-missile-interceptors-350/
Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense
By 1992, technology development was completed and all that remained was integrated stage testing. Due to funding constraints, the program was temporarily stopped. However, the LEAP program resumed program funding since the ASAS technology provided an upper stage capability suitable for the Navy LEAP experiments. Under contracts with the Air Force Phillips Laboratory (Edwards Air Force Base, California) and Hughes Missiles Systems Company, the Elkton Division of Thiokol Corporation completed the design, development, and qualification of a third stage for use in the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO)/ navy Terrier Lightweight Exoatmospheric Projectile (LEAP) flight experiments. The stage consists of a solid- propellant motor with omni-axis thrust vector control (TVC), safe-and-arm (S&A) devices, flight-termination system, pitch/yaw/ roll attitude control system (ACS), cables/connectors, and skirt/interstage structures. The combination of the Navy's STANDARD Missile and the ASAS provide sufficient propulsion to boost the LEAP kill vehicle beyond the atmosphere to intercept longer-range theater-class ballistic missiles far from their intended targets.
The LEAP design includes a highly advanced, large aperture, long wave infrared (LWIR) seeker that provides acquisition ranges greater than 300 km against typical tactical ballistic missile threats. It also contains an interferometric fiber optic inertial measurement unit (IMU) for improved midcourse and terminal guidance. During the Navy LEAP Technology Demonstration Program, the LEAP KKV operated beyond expectations. After ejection from the Standard Missile, LEAP's LWIR seeker acquired and tracked the tactical ballistic missile target at a range of over 135 km, well beyond the requirement.
A cost and operational effectiveness analysis (COEA) was conducted in the mid-1990s to assess interceptor alternatives. The Theater-Wide Defense interceptor was integrated into the existing AEGIS Weapon System modified for the Navy Area Defense (lower tier) program.
The LEAP/Standard Missile-3 Kill Vehicle program transitioned from a demonstration program to the AEGIS-LEAP Program, and finally the AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense Program. Today, AEGIS cruisers patrol the Pacific armed with the LEAP-equipped, Standard Missile 3.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/leap-n.htm
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US soldiers stand in front of a Patriot missile battery at an army base in the northern Polish town of Morag
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US drops key European missile defense component
March 16, 2013
The United Stated is abandoning a key part of its Eastern European missile defense plan due to development problems and funding, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has announced. The focus, he said, will be shifted to perceived threats from North Korea.
Several interceptors in Poland and Romania, the deployment of which had been the source of heavy criticism from Moscow, will be scrapped.
Hagel told the press on Friday that the decision was made as part of an overall restructuring of the country's missile defense plans, with an eye to stopping perceived threats from Iran and North Korea.
The restructuring of the program will see $1 billion shifted to add some 14 new interceptors to the 26 existing ones in Alaska designed to counter potential North Korea missiles.
Washington claims that its decision was prompted by a need to address North Korea's faster-than-anticipated progress in nuclear weapons development. The changes to the program will free up the money to do so, Hagel said.
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Explaining the rationale behind the initial plans for American outposts in Poland and Romania, Hagel said, "the purpose was to add to the protection of the US homeland already provided by our current [ground-based interceptors] against missile threats from the Middle East."
But, he added, "The timeline for deploying this program had been delayed to at least 2022 due to cuts in Congressional funding. Meanwhile the threat matures. By shifting resources from this lagging program ... We will be able to add protection against missiles from Iran sooner, also providing additional protection against the North Korean threat.”
However, the Poland- and Romania-based SM-3 Block IIB ballistic interceptors were only one component in a multifaceted missile defense program. While Phase 4 – the now-scrapped interceptors – are off the table, phases 1 through 3 are set to continue as planned.
"The missile deployments the United States are making in phases 1 through 3 of the European Phased Adaptive approach including sites in Poland and Romania will still be able to provide coverage of all European NATO territory as planned by 2018," Hagel said.
Kremlin concerns
The Kremlin has argued that deployment of the systems in its neighborhood was aimed at countering Russian missiles and undermining its nuclear deterrent, though Washington said the system was aimed at countering threats from Iran.
During initial negotiations with the George W. Bush administration, Moscow offered Washington the use of an alternative site in Azerbaijan in order to counter the Iranian threats evoked by the US.
The missile shield also faced strong domestic opposition in Poland and Romania, bringing the Obama administration in 2009 to announce that it was canceling its plans for the project.
But a reformulated scheme was announced a month later in October 2009, showing plans to place smaller, mobile SM-3 ballistic missile interceptors in the region by 2018.
Besides the placement of the interceptors, Russian officials have also opposed a radar installation set to be based in the Czech Republic. The base would enable US forces and their NATO partners to monitor activities in European Russian airspace.
Hagel stressed that other components of American missile defense plans in Europe would continue, and that Washington’s commitment in Europe "remains ironclad," but made no reference to Kremlin objections to the program.
An anonymous senior State Department official told the AP that while Poland and Romania were informed of the decision ahead of the announcement, Russia was not.
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Phase One (2011) - Deployment of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD)-capable ships. In 2011 the USS Monterey, equipped with proven SM-3 Block IA ballistic missile interceptors, was deployed in the Mediterranean Sea. Turkey agreed to host a land-based early warning radar. By 2012, the system was functional according to the program's timeline.
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Phase Two (2015) – Deployment of a more capable ground-based SM-3 Block IB ballistic missile interceptor in Romania.
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Phase Three (2018) – Deployment of an additional advanced ground-based SM-3 Block IIA ballistic missile interceptor in Poland.
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Phase Four (2020) - Deployment of SM-3 Block IIB ballistic missile interceptors. Washington canceled this phase on March 15, 2013.
By US Missile Defense Agency Feb 2013
