U.S. Wants To Use India In Missile Shield Against Russia And China

 United States has been trying to rope in India for its plans to build a global missile defence system threatening Russia and China, the Komsomoloskaya Pravda, a popular Russian daily published from Moscow reported on Thursday.

In a story based on the WikiLeaks releases, the report said the U.S. has not only been planning to deploy a missile shield against Russia in Europe, but had also been negotiating with countries along Russia's borders, such as Japan and India, to jointly build missile defences that would also target Russia.

“The noose [around Russia] is tightening,” the newspaper said. “Thanks to WikiLeaks, it has become known that Washington has been simultaneously conducting talks with countries in other parts of the world for building U.S. missile defences on their territories. Those are different countries, but they form a chain around Russia.”

A 2007 confidential cable from the U.S. embassy in New Delhi carried by the daily refuted media reports that India had abruptly turned its back on a 2005 agreement with the U.S. to cooperate on missile defences. The cable said the Indian media had misinterpreted remarks by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee after the Russia-India-China trilateral meeting in Harbin, China, on October 24, 2007. Mr. Mukherjee had dismissed as “groundless” the idea that India was going to join a U.S.-led missile defence system.


“MEA contacts confirm this did not mean India was not interested in continuing to cooperate with the U.S. on missile defence technology and that there has been no change from the current level of bilateral missile defence cooperation,” the U.S. embassy cable said.

Indian Pursuit Of Ballistic Missile Defence Program

Earlier India conducted a successful ballistic missile defence test which was capable enough to intercept and kill the incoming missile. This shows that Indian ballistic missile defence program comprising of long range tracking radar, command and control system and the interceptor, is maturing at a faster pace. As a result, the South Asian strategic stability would be challenged as there are diversification of threats and limited response options, BMD adds value to the complexity of the region.

India believes in nuclear dominance in the region and aspires to have extended self defence. It aims to become a global power. The technological edge that it is struggling to acquire over Pakistan and China has been to some extent proven by the successful ballistic missile defence test it conducted on 6th March 2011. Till now India has conducted six tests out of which four were successful and two failed due to technological reasons. But now India would proudly be a part of the elite club of the ‘BMD haves’ which includes United States, Russia and Israel.

India acquired the system with the technological assistance of United States and Israel. Indian BMD program has a two-tiered system namely Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) for high altitude interception and Advanced Air Defence (AAD) for lower altitude interception. The PAD missiles are for intercepting ballistic missiles at altitudes between 50-80 km and the Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile is for destroying them at heights ranging 15-30 km.


India’s future plans include two new anti ballistic missiles that can intercept Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) namely Advanced Defence (AD-1 and AD-2) which would be capable of intercepting and destroying a missile at a range around 5,000 km (3,100 mi)

India justifies its acquisition of BMD by stating that as India has a no first use policy (NFU) therefore in order to ensure its second strike capability and to be able to absorb the first strike and retaliate it needs BMD. This would add value to its deterrent capability. Indian BMD is theatre missile defence it cannot protect the entire Indian soil but can only give protection to its some land-based strategic locations. It has Nuclear submarines INS Arihant which would be inducted in Indian Navy by 2012 will protect its seas.

USA Confirms Plans For Missile Defense Base in Poland

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has confirmed Washington's plans to deploy missile defenses and Air Force units in Poland.

"As was announced by our two presidents in December, we plan to establish a new permanent U.S. air detachment in Poland, build missile defenses in Poland, and as agreed at the NATO summit, develop a contingency plan in the region," Clinton told journalists ahead of talks with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in Washington.

Wikileaks published U.S. cables in late 2010 showing that NATO was drawing up a plan on the protection of Estonia, Lithuania and Poland from external threats on a request from the United States and Germany.

 The Guardian reported that under the plan, reportedly approved by Clinton, the United States, Britain, Germany and Poland would deploy troops in the region in case of a military aggression against the Baltic States or Poland itself.

According to the British newspaper, NATO members approved the draft plan during the alliance's summit in Lisbon in November 2010.

In 2009, the United States decided to deploy several F-16 fighter jets and Hercules transport aircraft in Poland. Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich has said the United States was also planning to deploy Patriot missile defense systems in Poland at a base just 100 kilometers from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

"We have a full agenda that will concentrate on three essential areas: building our mutual security, expanding prosperity and promoting democracy," Clinton said on Thursday, adding "as we grow our military partnership, we continue to expand economic ties between the Polish and American people."

Moscow has long opposed the deployment of U.S. missile defenses near its borders, arguing they would be a security threat and could destroy the strategic balance of forces in Europe.

The United States scrapped earlier plans in September last year for an anti-ballistic-missile defense system in the Czech Republic and Poland. Moscow welcomed the move, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said later that Russia would drop plans to deploy Iskander-M tactical missiles in its Kaliningrad Region, which borders NATO members Poland and Lithuania.

Russia and NATO agreed to cooperate on the so called Euro missile defense system at the Lisbon summit. NATO insists there should be two independent systems that exchange information, while Russia favors a joint system.

The S-300P Surface To Air Missile

India to Intercept Missiles At 150 km Altitude

Defence scientists in the country are set to raise the bar for excellence by trying to shoot down a missile at an altitude of 150 kilometres later this year.

Defence scientists have been able to intercept a missile at an altitude of 80 km and are now planning to aim higher.

"The trials are expected later this year," VK Saraswat, Director General, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told reporters on the sidelines of the 98th Indian Science Congress in Chennai.

DRDO to shoot down missile at 150 km altitude

He said the DRDO scientists were also planning to raise the altitude for interception gradually to upto 300 km.

The DRDO-developed missile shield uses a system of long range radars and long-range missiles to shoot down incoming enemy missiles.

The system has been tested successfully three times since December 2006.

The Prithvi interceptor missile has been codenamed PDV, a two stage rocket powered by solid propellants.

Asked about the failure of the recent Agni-II Prime tests, Saraswat blamed it on the quality of components procured from the industry.

He said the defence scientists have recovered the entire hardware of the last month's failed test of the Agni-II Prime missile and would soon come out with a detailed analysis of the event.

Saraswat stressed on improving the quality of products it receives from the industry.

He said the DRDO will now have to go beyond quality checks for the components it sources from the industry and ensure control on the quality of manufacturing processes.

He said the DRDO has also decided to launch a commercial arm to market its technologies having civilian and paramilitary applications.

"We have new users coming up in the paramilitary forces and some of our technologies also have civilian applications.

So, taking into account the volume of spin-offs a commercial arm is planned," Saraswat said.

He said DRDO has transferred technology for its products to around 15 firms and has earned Rs 20 crore from the deals.

The DRDO chief said the organisation saw a business potential of up to Rs 70 crore per year in meeting the demand of the paramilitary forces.

The DRDO can customise some of the weapons used by army for the paramilitary forces, he said.

The DRDO has started collaborative research work with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras by taking 30,000 square feet space at the IIT Madras Technology Park in Chennai.

"I plan to have about 20-25 scientists at the research centre that would work on cyber security, nano material, aeronautics and others," Saraswat said.

To a question, he said the DRDO did not have any programme to build a military satellite.

On the induction of the Light Combat Aircraft - Tejas into the Air Force, Saraswat said the documentation related to the Initial Operation Clearance of the aircraft will be handed over the the IAF in the presence of Defence Minister AK Antony on January one.

Chinese DF-21C Anti-ship Ballistic Missile

Israel To Test Arrow-3 Interceptor Missile In 2011

 Israel's new Arrow-3 anti-ballistic missile interceptor Test will be performed by mid-2011.

Israel Aerospace Industries, which is developing the Arrow-3, iscurrently performing ground testing of the new missile, which willintercept incoming ballistic missiles using kinetic kill instead ofproximity warhead detonation as with the operational Arrow-2.

Israeli sources say the Arrow-3 will be the most advanced ballisticmissile interceptor in the world. They say it will be "very energetic"and have "super manoeuvrability", enabling it to change its trajectoryto engage another target that was detected after launch.

The sources say the Arrow-3 will be deployed in parallel to theArrow-2, and the type to be launched will be determined by the firecontrol system.

The need for a longer-range kinetic kill interceptor stems from the threat posed by Scud-type missiles with 400-600km (216-324nm) range that Syria deploys, and designs with a 2,000km range, like Iran's Shihab-type weapons.

The Arrow-3 will provide an additional layer in Israel's multi-layered defence system, which the nation has built to protect its territory from rockets and missiles.

Rafael's Iron Dome system has recently proved its capability to destroy salvos from short-range rockets. The company and Raytheon are also developing David's Sling, a system designed to intercept longer-range rockets like the Iranian-designed Fatah-110 by Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

The Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 missiles will provide the upper layer, with the two planned to work separately or together to improve interception probabilities.

 

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