U.S. Fields More Alaskan Missile Interceptors

The United States plans to deploy two additional missile interceptors in Alaska before the close of 2007, bringing the total to 22, the Associated Press reported Tuesday (see GSN, Feb. 8).

The Missile Defense Agency intends to field 54 Ground-based Midcourse Defense interceptors at three sites in the long term.

“The goal is to have 40 interceptors at Fort Greely [Alaska] and four in California, and then we’re proposing 10 interceptors to be placed in Poland as well,” agency spokesman Rick Lehner told Fairbanks radio station KUAC (see related GSN story, today).

A recent interceptor test demonstrated that the system could be quickly called into service even though it remains in development (see GSN, Oct. 1).

“It can be brought up to operational capability at pretty much any given time,” Lehner said.  “For the bulk of the time, though, it is still in the development phase, but we can make it operational very, very quickly” (Associated Press/KTVF TV, Oct. 9).

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