The United States has decided to revamp its missile shield program in eastern Europe, moving away from a large fixed system toward one better able to counter an Iranian short- and medium-range missile threat, a U.S. defense official said on Thursday.
This does get away from the big fixed-based radar and field concept and focuses on a layered versatile adaptive system
"This does get away from the big fixed-based radar and field concept and focuses on a layered versatile adaptive system," the official said, indicating that intelligence shows Iran is now focused on shorter range missiles rather than intercontinental rockets.
A Pentagon spokesman said the White House would have an announcement on Thursday to discuss "a major adjustment and enhancement to our European missile defense system."
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed as "a positive step" the U.S. decision to consult allies about its missile plans.
"It's a positive step," he said, according to his spokesman, "in the direction of an inclusive process that is also in the interest of our eastern European allies."
"It's a sign of the indivisibility of all the (28) allies," he said.
Disappoiingn Czech and Poland
His remarks came as Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer said that U.S. President Barack Obama had called him overnight to announce Washington's decision to no longer build a radar base as part of the missile shield in his country.
The previous administration under former president George W. Bush wanted to extend the massive U.S. defense shield into Europe to counter a perceived missile threat from Iran.
I spoke this morning with the American ambassador and I have the impression that the US.. plans in terms of anti-missile defense are going to involve NATO to a greater degree
It had planned to place 10 interceptors in Poland and link them to a radar in the Czech Republic. The move deeply angered Russia, which saw it as a threat to its own security.
A U.S. decision to drop the plans is sure to disappoint the Czech Republic and Poland, who were set to receive a number of security benefits in exchange for hosting the sites.
A U.S. defense official said that Washington wants to adopt a more "versatile" missile defense system.
The U.S. shield would not have protected all NATO allies—Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey would have been left outside—and the military alliance had been studying ways to bolt its own missile system onto it.
"I spoke this morning with the American (NATO) ambassador and I have the impression that the U.S. plans in terms of anti-missile defense are going to involve NATO to a greater degree," Rasmussen said.
NATO ambassadors were due to hear later Thursday from the U.S. ambassador—Ivo Daalder—about the U.S. intentions, which are being announced some six months after Washington announced a review of the missile shield.
The Obama administration wanted to re-assess whether the multi-billion dollar extensions would be cost effective and technically feasible.
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