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USA’s missile shield program was a lemon – Wikileaks

A 2007 briefing by General Patrick O’Reilly, director of the US Missile Defence Agency, disclosed that the radar system would be unable to detect long-range missiles in the launch phase because it could only see in a straight line, not over the horizon.

WikiLeaks cables: planned US missile shield blind to nuclear weapons, Telegraph UK, US plans for a missile defence system on Czech soil ran into trouble when defence chiefs realised the proposed radar was blind to nuclear missiles, leaked diplomatic cables show By Heidi Blake 03 Feb 2011

A 2007 briefing by General Patrick O’Reilly, director of the US Missile Defence Agency, disclosed that the radar system would be unable to detect long-range missiles in the launch phase because it could only see in a straight line, not over the horizon.

By the time the radar “saw” the missile, it would be too late to launch an interceptor in time to stop it striking its target.

The Czech radar system was the lynch-pin of George Bush’s “son of star wars” missile defence plans, ostensibly intended to intercept missiles launched from North Korea and Iran.

Russia reacted furiously to the proposed system, which it claimed could threaten its own defences and be used to spy on its interests.

A leaked cable obtained by WikiLeaks detailing US talks with Moscow describes a briefing by General O’Reilly on the capabilities of the Czech radar……..

Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State under President Bush, finalised the agreement to base the missile radar in the Czech Republic 8 July 2008.

But the plan was abandoned by President Barack Obama in September 2009, on the basis that the threat from Iran could now be countered by shorter-range systems.

WikiLeaks cables: planned US missile shield blind to nuclear weapons – Telegraph

February 4, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | technology, weapons and war, Wikileaks