Late and Wrong 07/07/2010
How's 'staying relevant' working out for ya?
Mitt Romney climbs aboard the "OMG, Obama Just Gave Away Missile Defense" train:
The president's New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New-START) with Russia could be his worst foreign policy mistake yet. The treaty as submitted to the Senate should not be ratified. New-START impedes missile defense, our protection from nuclear-proliferating rogue states such as Iran and North Korea. Its preamble links strategic defense with strategic arsenal. It explicitly forbids the United States from converting intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos into missile defense sites.
Paul Podvig hacks through Romney's jungle of errors and misrepresentations here. I must say, Mr. Podvig was much nicer than I would have been.
The president's New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New-START) with Russia could be his worst foreign policy mistake yet. The treaty as submitted to the Senate should not be ratified. New-START impedes missile defense, our protection from nuclear-proliferating rogue states such as Iran and North Korea. Its preamble links strategic defense with strategic arsenal. It explicitly forbids the United States from converting intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos into missile defense sites.
Paul Podvig hacks through Romney's jungle of errors and misrepresentations here. I must say, Mr. Podvig was much nicer than I would have been.
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Given the recent prominence of the missile defense debate, I figured I would drag out something a wrote way back in February of this year on the topic. My views have changed somewhat since then, particularly regarding the utility of missile defense as a deterrent. But I stand by the policy recommendations I made. (Some smart folks seem to agree as well, which is always heartening.) Enjoy and please comment at will.
The Future of Missile Defense: Recommendations for the Incoming Obama Administration
Evan Tachovsky
February 12, 2009
The advent of the Obama presidency comes at a critical moment in the debate on the viability of missile defense. America’s new president must decide how or even if ballistic missile defense (BMD) should be a part of America’s broader defense strategy. There is no shortage of opinions on how the administration should proceed on key issues including America’s controversial missile defense shield in Eastern Europe and the expansion of the Aegis system at sea. During the Bush administration, advocates of BMD warned that North Korea and Iran would soon be able to hold the U.S. hostage, while its critics decried the program as an untenable cash cow only benefiting military industrialists. The purpose of the current investigation is first to delineate why the further development of America’s BMD capabilities should be a priority for the Obama administration and second to suggest a reorganization of priorities to ensure the financial, technical and strategic viability of America’s defenses.
More after the jump --->
The Future of Missile Defense: Recommendations for the Incoming Obama Administration
Evan Tachovsky
February 12, 2009
The advent of the Obama presidency comes at a critical moment in the debate on the viability of missile defense. America’s new president must decide how or even if ballistic missile defense (BMD) should be a part of America’s broader defense strategy. There is no shortage of opinions on how the administration should proceed on key issues including America’s controversial missile defense shield in Eastern Europe and the expansion of the Aegis system at sea. During the Bush administration, advocates of BMD warned that North Korea and Iran would soon be able to hold the U.S. hostage, while its critics decried the program as an untenable cash cow only benefiting military industrialists. The purpose of the current investigation is first to delineate why the further development of America’s BMD capabilities should be a priority for the Obama administration and second to suggest a reorganization of priorities to ensure the financial, technical and strategic viability of America’s defenses.
More after the jump --->
The Patriot Missile
Sometimes you just have to cut your loses and start over. Apparently this is what the Obama administration has decided to do with the long awaited European missile defense shield. I can't say that I'm sad to see it go.
The Bush era missile defense scheme for Europe had as much credibility as Gaddafi's son's thesis on the democratization. The system, which to date has cost the US close to a billion dollars, wouldn't have been able to effectively defend against an attack of more than two missiles, distinguish between a simple decoy and real missile, or identify a missile as such if its nose cone was covered with a shiny, metallic shell. And that is just a short list of its failings.
For more details, check out the East-West Institute's report on Iran's ballistic missile program and America's response; section 4 is particularly informative.
While I'm happy to see thisineffective cash-cow go the way of the dinosaur, I can't help but find the timing of the move particularly interesting. Anyone else think this is an attempt to curry favor with Russia in advance of what will surely be tough negotiations on sanction for Iran?
-Evan
More after the jump -->
The Bush era missile defense scheme for Europe had as much credibility as Gaddafi's son's thesis on the democratization. The system, which to date has cost the US close to a billion dollars, wouldn't have been able to effectively defend against an attack of more than two missiles, distinguish between a simple decoy and real missile, or identify a missile as such if its nose cone was covered with a shiny, metallic shell. And that is just a short list of its failings.
For more details, check out the East-West Institute's report on Iran's ballistic missile program and America's response; section 4 is particularly informative.
While I'm happy to see thisineffective cash-cow go the way of the dinosaur, I can't help but find the timing of the move particularly interesting. Anyone else think this is an attempt to curry favor with Russia in advance of what will surely be tough negotiations on sanction for Iran?
-Evan
More after the jump -->
America's Latest and Greatest Missile Defense System, THAAD
Question: Which country bought the most arms from the US in 2008?
The answer is the United Arab Emirates with $9.7 billion in new purchases. As you might guess, the UAE wasn't buying billions of dollars worth of M16s and hand grenades. The majority of the the money was spent on one weapons system: Lockheed Martin's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
Since this is a political blog and not a wonky one, I'll spare you the technical details. Basically what you need to know is that THAAD is a ground-based air defense systems that relies on kinetic instead of explosive energy to bring down its target and has a functional range of 200km.
Although much of the testing the Missile Defense Agency performs is about as close to real world operation as masturbation is to sex, THAAD has a perfect kill record since full system tests began in 2006. Check out video of the March 2009 test here.
THAAD was first deployed for use by US forces in May 2008. Four months later, the Bush administration agreed to sell the Emirates THAAD for a whopping $6.9 billion. Congress subsequently approved the deal and the UAE is set to take delivery of the system by the end of 2010. It doesn't take Henry Kissinger to figure out that the reason the US decided to sell the UAE its most advanced air defense system was to counter Iran's ability to threaten America's interests in the region.
The answer is the United Arab Emirates with $9.7 billion in new purchases. As you might guess, the UAE wasn't buying billions of dollars worth of M16s and hand grenades. The majority of the the money was spent on one weapons system: Lockheed Martin's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
Since this is a political blog and not a wonky one, I'll spare you the technical details. Basically what you need to know is that THAAD is a ground-based air defense systems that relies on kinetic instead of explosive energy to bring down its target and has a functional range of 200km.
Although much of the testing the Missile Defense Agency performs is about as close to real world operation as masturbation is to sex, THAAD has a perfect kill record since full system tests began in 2006. Check out video of the March 2009 test here.
THAAD was first deployed for use by US forces in May 2008. Four months later, the Bush administration agreed to sell the Emirates THAAD for a whopping $6.9 billion. Congress subsequently approved the deal and the UAE is set to take delivery of the system by the end of 2010. It doesn't take Henry Kissinger to figure out that the reason the US decided to sell the UAE its most advanced air defense system was to counter Iran's ability to threaten America's interests in the region.
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