U.S.-Australian Missile Defense Pact Expected Today

Australia is expected to sign an agreement today with the United States on aiding U.S. missile defense efforts, according to Agence France-Presse (see GSN, June 22).

The memorandum of understanding set to be approved in Washington by Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill would have Australia offer research assistance and other aid to the United States over 25 years, AFP reported.

“From an Australian perspective, we’re looking well into the future,” Hill said yesterday. “We don’t have any threat against us from ballistic missiles at this time, but the day might come when we have,” he added (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, July 6).

Meanwhile, Hill said yesterday that the latest tests of the Australian Jindalee over-the-horizon radar system demonstrated that it could detect ballistic missile launches, according to the Associated Press. The latest tests of the system were conducted in April near the northern Australian city of Darwin, he said (Associated Press, July 6).

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