Sun, 16 Dec 2001 10:02 AEDT US Navy missile decision a blow for Bush administration
The United States Navy's decision to cancel its component of the planned US missile defence program represents a blow to the administration of President George W Bush following its withdrawal from the 1972 ABM treaty.
US under secretary of defence for acquisition Edward Aldridge said the Navy Area Missile Defence Program was cancelled "due to poor performance and projected future costs and schedules".
The naval program was to have been part of a multi-layered missile defence system aimed at protecting the United States and its forces abroad from land, sea, air and space based attacks.
The US Navy's program, which had been expected to be deployed in two years, was meant to protect ships and ports against Scud-type missiles or air attacks.
Like the Patriot ground defence system, it would have targeted air attacks that would otherwise have gone undetected by defence systems covering larger areas.
The plan was for cruisers and destroyers equipped with the AEGIS missile system to provide area coverage and shoot down enemy short and medium range theatre ballistic missiles.
Program 'too costly'
But the program proved too costly, prompting the Pentagon to axe it.
A US Navy spokeswoman insisted that the offensive and defensive AEGIS system, already installed on more than 50 ships, would remain an important element of the navy's defences.
"This is not affecting the AEGIS system as a whole - this is the main sensor system that we have on our ships, even before we started with the larger missile defence," she said.
A separate project, known as Navy Theatre Wide, which aims to intercept missiles that could threaten wider theatres of operation, is still under review, she said.
Mr Aldridge said the Pentagon's Ballistic Missile Defence Organisation expected to relaunch in the coming months several programs that would integrate various sea-based missile defence systems.
In a bid to implement his ambitious missile defence plan, President Bush announced on Thursday that Washington would withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty signed with Moscow, over Russia's objections.
By dropping out of the treaty, the United States can now test and develop an anti-missile defence system which it claims to need to fend off nuclear attacks from terrorists and so-called rogue states such as North Korea, Iraq and Iran.
The Cold War treaty bans anti-missile systems that afford total protection for any country. It also bans early-warning radar systems from anywhere except the border area, as well as sea, air and space based defence systems or mobile ones on the ground - all considered promising by the Pentagon.
No more restrictions
These restrictions will no longer hinder US efforts to deploy the missile defence program, once its withdrawal from the ABM treaty takes effect next summer following the six-month notification period.
The US Congress on Thursday approved $Au16.06 billion [US$ 8.3 bn] for ballistic missile defence, a 57 per cent increase over current spending levels, as part of a larger defence authorisation bill.
But the Navy's program cancellation, along with other technical problems, could stall deployment of any missile defence system.
On Thursday, President Bush's proposed system suffered another setback when a booster rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California strayed off course and crashed into the Pacific Ocean 30 seconds into its flight.
The setbacks are unlikely to scuttle Bush's missile defence program, but are certainly embarrassing for his administration.