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US Missile Defence
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has objected to a proposed US missile defence system in Europe.
What is the US proposing to do?
The United States wants to build a system that will let it knock out incoming ballistic missiles potentially coming from North Korea and Iran.
This involves using radars in Alaska and California in the US and at Fylingdales in the UK. Another radar is planned for Greenland.
Anti-missile missiles, or interceptors, are being based in Alaska (40 of them) and California (4) and the plan is to put 10 of them in Poland with an associated radar in the Czech Republic.
There would also be 130 interceptors based on ships. The interceptors work by physically hitting the ballistic missile in mid-flight. There would also be missiles to try to destroy incoming rockets in the final stages.
Why in Eastern Europe?
The US says there is a gap in its anti-missile defences.
A threat from North Korea could be countered with the US and sea-based systems.
But European allies or US forces in Europe could be threatened by Iran one day, Washington says, or indeed some other country (though only Iran is mentioned by name in the US Missile Defense Agency "Overview" -- see link at right) so there needs to be a system based in Europe as well.
Why does Russia object?
Because it says that the missiles in Poland and the radar in the Czech Republic could threaten its own defences. The system might be small to start with, it says, but could expand. The radar could be used to spy on Russia.
What about President Putin's threat to target Europe?
Before the G8 meeting in Germany in June 2007, he did threaten to target Europe with nuclear ballistic or cruise missiles again (something given up after the Cold War) if the proposed defence system went ahead.
But he has also offered alternatives to the US plan?
Yes, he has softened his tone since making his threat. First he proposed at the G8 that the US could use a Russian-rented radar site in Azerbaijan, which shares a border with Iran. Then at a meeting with President Bush in Kennebunkport on 2 July 2007 he offered use of a radar site in southern Russia and offered to work with the US and other European countries on a joint defence system. However he is still opposed to the deployments in Poland the Czech Republic.
Will the US agree?
President Bush said the Polish and Czech deployments were "integral" to the system but he agreed to work with the Russians as well.
When would the system be deployed in Eastern Europe?
The radar would be installed in the Czech Republic in 2011 and the 10 interceptors in Poland (on a football pitch-sized site) between 2011 and 2013.
Why has President Putin spoken out now?
Observers think he is concerned about wider issues than just stopping the shield.
His approach in office has been to follow more nationalistic policies than his predecessor, President Boris Yeltsin, who is felt in Russia to have given too much to the West.
So on a range of issues, President Putin is trying to make Russian influence count.
Why does the US say the Russians should not be worried?
The US argues that the 10 interceptors in Poland and the radar in the Czech Republic could not possibly do any harm to any Russian ballistic missile.
"You're not going to counter the hundreds of Russian ICBMs and the thousands of warheads that are represented by that fleet with 10 interceptors in a field in Europe," says Gen Henry Obering, head of the US Missile Defense Agency.
In addition, he says, the radar would be too small to track Russian missiles effectively.
Have Poland and the Czech Republic agreed to the deployment?
Not finally. The Czech government agrees in principle but is negotiating conditions, such as assurances that this is not directed at Russia and will not affect Czech sovereignty. Poland is also sympathetic but wants further discussions. There is some opposition in both countries to the plan
Does Iran have a missile capable of reaching Europe or the US?
The US think-tank, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, says: "Iran currently possesses the capability to employ ballistic missiles and/or long-range artillery rockets against its regional neighbours, Israel, and US forces deployed in the region.
"Given favourable conditions, Iran is currently on track to be able to extend its ballistic missile capabilities to include Southern Europe, North Africa and South Asia by 2005-2010 and possibly the continental United States by 2015."
What international agreements cover these moves?
None. The US withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2001.
What is the US proposing to do?
The United States wants to build a system that will let it knock out incoming ballistic missiles potentially coming from North Korea and Iran.
This involves using radars in Alaska and California in the US and at Fylingdales in the UK. Another radar is planned for Greenland.
Anti-missile missiles, or interceptors, are being based in Alaska (40 of them) and California (4) and the plan is to put 10 of them in Poland with an associated radar in the Czech Republic.
There would also be 130 interceptors based on ships. The interceptors work by physically hitting the ballistic missile in mid-flight. There would also be missiles to try to destroy incoming rockets in the final stages.
Why in Eastern Europe?
The US says there is a gap in its anti-missile defences.
A threat from North Korea could be countered with the US and sea-based systems.
But European allies or US forces in Europe could be threatened by Iran one day, Washington says, or indeed some other country (though only Iran is mentioned by name in the US Missile Defense Agency "Overview" -- see link at right) so there needs to be a system based in Europe as well.
Why does Russia object?
Because it says that the missiles in Poland and the radar in the Czech Republic could threaten its own defences. The system might be small to start with, it says, but could expand. The radar could be used to spy on Russia.
What about President Putin's threat to target Europe?
Before the G8 meeting in Germany in June 2007, he did threaten to target Europe with nuclear ballistic or cruise missiles again (something given up after the Cold War) if the proposed defence system went ahead.
But he has also offered alternatives to the US plan?
Yes, he has softened his tone since making his threat. First he proposed at the G8 that the US could use a Russian-rented radar site in Azerbaijan, which shares a border with Iran. Then at a meeting with President Bush in Kennebunkport on 2 July 2007 he offered use of a radar site in southern Russia and offered to work with the US and other European countries on a joint defence system. However he is still opposed to the deployments in Poland the Czech Republic.
Will the US agree?
President Bush said the Polish and Czech deployments were "integral" to the system but he agreed to work with the Russians as well.
When would the system be deployed in Eastern Europe?
The radar would be installed in the Czech Republic in 2011 and the 10 interceptors in Poland (on a football pitch-sized site) between 2011 and 2013.
Why has President Putin spoken out now?
Observers think he is concerned about wider issues than just stopping the shield.
His approach in office has been to follow more nationalistic policies than his predecessor, President Boris Yeltsin, who is felt in Russia to have given too much to the West.
So on a range of issues, President Putin is trying to make Russian influence count.
Why does the US say the Russians should not be worried?
The US argues that the 10 interceptors in Poland and the radar in the Czech Republic could not possibly do any harm to any Russian ballistic missile.
"You're not going to counter the hundreds of Russian ICBMs and the thousands of warheads that are represented by that fleet with 10 interceptors in a field in Europe," says Gen Henry Obering, head of the US Missile Defense Agency.
In addition, he says, the radar would be too small to track Russian missiles effectively.
Have Poland and the Czech Republic agreed to the deployment?
Not finally. The Czech government agrees in principle but is negotiating conditions, such as assurances that this is not directed at Russia and will not affect Czech sovereignty. Poland is also sympathetic but wants further discussions. There is some opposition in both countries to the plan
Does Iran have a missile capable of reaching Europe or the US?
The US think-tank, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, says: "Iran currently possesses the capability to employ ballistic missiles and/or long-range artillery rockets against its regional neighbours, Israel, and US forces deployed in the region.
"Given favourable conditions, Iran is currently on track to be able to extend its ballistic missile capabilities to include Southern Europe, North Africa and South Asia by 2005-2010 and possibly the continental United States by 2015."
What international agreements cover these moves?
None. The US withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2001.
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