A NATO-Russia missile defense exercise
Yes, it’s theater anti-missile defense (not strategic), but it’s also another step to a “global” limited protection system against NoKo and Iran type nuts. Here’s the NATO press release.
I’d like to see some reporting on this exercise but I suspect outside of StrategyPage I won’t. If someone comes up with something (other than a rewrite of the press release) please provide the link in a comment.
Long excerpt:
Under the aegis of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC), the Theatre Missile Defence Ad Hoc Working Group (TMD AHWG) will conduct the third joint NATO-Russia TMD Command Post Exercise (CPX) from 16-25 October 2006 at the Russian Simulation Facility located in the Research and Development Center of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.
The purpose of this third CPX is to validate the Experimental Concept and associated Experimental Concept of Operations (CONOPS) developed by the joint NATO-Russia TMD Ad Hoc Working Group. Over sixty participants from eleven NATO nations and eighty participants from the Russian Federation are going to take part in CPX3. Additional support and participation will be provided by the NATO Military Authorities (NMAs), the International Staff (IS), the tri-national(1) Extended Air Defence Task Force (EADTF) and the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.
This is the third in a series of joint NATO-Russia TMD exercises. The initial CPX was conducted at the Joint National Integration Center (JNIC) in the United States in 2004. Last year The Netherlands hosted Cooperative Optic Windmill (CPX2) at De Peel Airbase. This third CPX will build on the work conducted previously and be a prelude for a first Field Training Exercise, provisionally scheduled for autumn 2007.
Here’s a NATO backgrounder. The program ultimately intends to protect “alliance forces, territory and populations against missile threats.”
I guarantee this program leverages US ABM research and development.
Someone tell Nancy Pelosi her European pals are worried. And they want ABMs. (Scroll through the post to find Pelosi’s quote. Also look through the comments and find Comment 19. Read the quote gleaned from Rep Ellen Tauscher’s site.)
So Russia is not entirely on the foe side, not yet?
Comment by chickenhawklittle — 10/18/2006 @ 1:26 pm
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Yay, Russia/West rapprochement is not dead yet. This is an important seedling. Once it grows more established (say around the 8th or 10th annual exercise) it would be an interesting step to add strategic elements to the missile defense exercise, eventually leading to the Reagan dream of full BMD cooperation between Russia and the US. It certainly is possible. I hope it one day will become reality.
Comment by TM Lutas — 10/19/2006 @ 9:18 am
So the automatic assumption is that Russia will not share any insights they gain into US missile defense with NorK? Don’t you think such an assumption in rather naivie?
Comment by Paul H. — 10/19/2006 @ 12:30 pm
Nice to see we are still able to work with the Russians. I think we have been way too harsh on Putin.
Comment by Harold C. Hutchison — 10/20/2006 @ 6:58 am
We have no choice than to work with the Russians. Too much volatility in the region and we are too thin militarily. Hope we do not enter another arms race.
Comment by Joaquin — 10/26/2007 @ 11:58 am