Missiles of the north: if the U.S. Department of Defense decides to develop its Missile Defense Program in Alaska, billions of dollars and many jobs are headed this way

Alaska Business Monthly, April, 1999 by John Pohl

Alaska has long played a strategic role in the national security of the United States. Just a partial list of accomplishments includes the defense of the Aleutians and the building of the Alaska Highway during World War II, and the siting of Nike missiles and development of Distance Early Warning radar sites during the Cold War.

Currently, Alaska-based air and land forces afford Northern Hemisphere power projection. These are only a few examples, and the state's role continues. Within a few years, Alaska may be asked to serve again: this time providing top gun coverage against ballistic missiles fired upon the United States.

THE NEED

In the last decade, the threat of global conflict and large-scale attacks on the United States has been greatly reduced by the end of the Cold War. However, many defense analysts argue that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them continue to pose a threat to the United State's security.

According to the Defense Department's Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, over 20 nations - some potentially, if not outright, hostile to the U.S.-possess or are developing nuclear, biological or chemical weapons. Ballistic missiles have also proliferated widely and have been used in many regional conflicts. The future may bring the proliferation of longer-range missiles, which can be used to attack or threaten the United States.

Concern over the possibility of a missile attack by a rogue nation was heightened last summer when Communist North Korea test-launched a multi-stage ballistic missile over the north Pacific. The missile splashed down just off the Aleutian Islands. This event has been cited as strong evidence that a National Missile Defense system is needed by the nation.

PROTECTING THE U.S.

According to the Department of Defense, the current National Missile Defense program is developing and planning to deploy, if necessary, a ground-based missile defense system. The system would be designed to protect the United States against limited ballistic missile threats. Before deployment, the National Missile Defense system is required to ensure that, with a very high probability of success, no weapons of mass destruction impact on U.S. territory.

To accomplish this requires the development and testing of several integrated elements. These elements will work concomitantly to detect, track and intercept a limited number of hostile ballistic missiles aimed at any of the 50 states. Possible launch threats in the coming years may range from a rogue nation, or from an unauthorized launch or accidental launch from a current nuclear power.

Fact sheets published by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization describe the U.S. Early Warning System, which consists of Defense Support Program satellites and space-based infrared system satellites, as one that will detect the launch of enemy missiles and will subsequently track these missiles while also gathering information on them.

"After confirmation, this information will be passed to the Battle Management/Command, Control, and Communications system, also known as BM/C3, while ground-based radar acquire and begin to track the missile," states the U.S. Department of Defense, Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. "After defense engagement authority is granted, one or more interceptors will be launched on command to engage the threat. The BM/C3 system will continue to process radar and other system data in order to provide more information to the interceptor so it can better discriminate between debris, false objects (penetration aids) and real warheads.

"The interceptor will use its on-board sensor to acquire the threat, select the target warhead, and guide it to a direct, high-speed collision using on-board computers and driver propulsion systems. During and after the engagement, the radar continues to collect data, and observe the intercept results in order to provide 'kill assessment' information which evaluate the interceptor's success or failure."

CURRENT STATUS

A working defense system is far from complete. Current money funds a developmental program that from now until the year 2000 will conduct flight tests at the national test range in the Pacific to first test its components individually and then together as a system. If successful, these tests will indicate that an effective and affordable National Missile Defense system can be built if needed.

The developmental schedule is designed to allow flexibility according to the global threat, offering several increasingly capable deployment options as the Baseline National Missile Defense Program progresses. The initial phase, dubbed the 3 3 option, will enable the U.S. to develop, within three years, the ability to deploy elements of a National Missile Defense system within another three years. Increasingly capable deployment options after the initial phase will add further capability with more elements of the National Missile Defense system, stated the DOD.

In late January, Secretary of Defense William Cohen revealed that the new budget contains plans for further ballistic missile defense programs. From 2000 to 2005, the Department of Defense budget includes $6.6 billion, which is slated for building a national missile defense program.