US drops key European missile defense component

US drops key European missile defense component:
Interceptors in Poland and Romania, the deployment of which hadbeen the source of heavy criticism from Moscow, will bescrapped.
Hagel told the press on Friday that the decision was made aspart of an overall restructuring of the country's missile defenseplans, with an eye to stopping perceived threats from Iran andNorth Korea.
The restructuring of the program will see $1 billion shifted toadd some 14 new interceptors to the 26 existing ones in Alaskadesigned to counter potential North Korea missiles.
Washington claims that its decision was prompted by a need toaddress North Korea's faster-than-anticipated progress in nuclearweapons development. The changes to the program will free up themoney to do so, Hagel said.

Phase One (2011) - Deployment of Aegis Ballistic MissileDefense (BMD)-capable ships. In 2011 the USS Monterey, equippedwith proven SM-3 Block IA ballistic missile interceptors, wasdeployed in the Mediterranean Sea. Turkey agreed to host aland-based early warning radar. By 2012, the system was functionalaccording to the program's timeline.
Phase Two (2015) – Deployment of a more capableground-based SM-3 Block IB ballistic missile interceptor inRomania.
Phase Three (2018) – Deployment of an additional advancedground-based SM-3 Block IIA ballistic missile interceptor inPoland.
Phase Four (2020) - Deployment of SM-3 Block IIBballistic missile interceptors. Washington canceled this phase onMarch 15, 2013.

Explaining the rationale behind the initial plans for Americanoutposts in Poland and Romania, Hagel said, "the purpose was toadd to the protection of the US homeland already provided by ourcurrent [ground-based interceptors] against missile threats fromthe Middle East."
But, he added, "The timeline for deploying this program hadbeen delayed to at least 2022 due to cuts in Congressional funding.Meanwhile the threat matures. By shifting resources from thislagging program ... We will be able to add protection againstmissiles from Iran sooner, also providing additional protectionagainst the North Korean threat.”
However, the Poland- and Romania-based interceptors were onlyone component in a multifaceted missile defense program. WhilePhase 4 – the now-scrapped interceptors – are off the table, phases1 through 3 are set to continue as planned.
"The missile deployments the United States are making inphases 1 through 3 of the European Phased Adaptive approachincluding sites in Poland and Romania will still be able to providecoverage of all European NATO territory as planned by 2018,"Hagel said.

Kremlin concerns

The Kremlin has argued that deployment of the systems in itsneighborhood was aimed at countering Russian missiles andundermining its nuclear deterrent, though Washington said thesystem was aimed at countering threats from Iran.
During initial negotiations with the George W. Bushadministration, Moscow offered Washington the use of an alternativesite in Azerbaijan in order to counter the Iranian threats evokedby the US.
The missile shield also faced strong domestic opposition inPoland and Romania, bringing the Obama administration in 2009 toannounce that it was canceling its plans for the project.
But a reformulated scheme was announced a month later in October2009, showing plans to place smaller, mobile SM-3 ballisticmissile interceptors in the region by 2018.
Besides the placement of the interceptors, Russian officialshave also opposed a radar installation set to be based in the CzechRepublic. The base would enable US forces and their NATO partnersto monitor activities in European Russian airspace.
Hagel stressed that other components of American missile defenseplans in Europe would continue, and that Washington’s commitment inEurope "remains ironclad," but made no reference to Kremlinobjections to the program.
An anonymous senior State Department official told the AP thatwhile Poland and Romania were informed of the decision ahead of theannouncement, Russia was not.