Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases

420th Munitions Squadron Operations Flight Chief
September 9, 2009
by Master Sgt. Kenneth C. Burnett

RAF WELFORD, United Kingdom — The final day has come! The last remaining M117 General Purpose Bombs at the 420th Munitions Squadron, Royal Air Force Welford were removed Sept. 2.

This journey began over a year ago with Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe soliciting for a contractor to agree to demilitarize 3,509 bombs. As RAF Welford is the command’s forward operating location for bomber aircraft, it was the optimum location for storing the M117 bombs until the decision was made to demilitarize the bombs. The accomplishment of shipping the M117s for demilitarization served three-fold for the Welford storage site: disposing of outdated munitions, reducing net explosive weight as directed by command, and eliminating munitions from outside storage to meet 3rd Air Force’s agreement with the United Kingdom government.

The M117 is a 750 pound general purpose bomb with an explosive weight of 403 pounds and is smaller in comparison to mark 80 series bombs. It was standard arsenal for various 1950s aircraft that have been since retired. Until recently the everlasting B-52 Stratofortress carried the M117. The M117 bombs were vital weapons dropped extensively in the Vietnam and Gulf wars. However, the bombs are no longer a component of the Department of Defense supply inventory, hence, the reason for M117 Demilitarization Project.

The M117 contract was awarded at end of 2008 to a Norway company for $2.3 million and funded by Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Force Materiel Command. On March 1, RAF Welford was charged by headquarters to stow 3,509 bombs into International Organization for Standardization containers for shipment with a deadline of March 31. …

www.501csw.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123166861

Tags: by caab
No Comments »

Stars and Stripes
September 15, 2009
By John Vandiver

Some 1,000 U.S. European Command troops will soon deploy to Israel for a large-scale missile defense exercise with Israeli forces.

This year’s Juniper Cobra comes at a time of continued concern about Iran’s nuclear program, which will be the subject of talks in October. Iranian officials will meet with multiple nations, including the U.S., to negotiate the program, which many in the international community suspect is being developed for weapons. …

The exercise, slated for mid-October, also will be conducted amid widespread speculation about U.S. plans for its controversial missile defense program, proposed to be anchored in Europe with missile interceptors in Poland and a radar site in the Czech Republic.

The proposal has long angered Russia, which views the program as a threat. But recent reports in the Polish press have claimed that plans for a site in Poland have been scrapped by the U.S., which could be looking at alternative locations.

And last week, the Jerusalem Post reported that the U.S. and Israeli officials have engaged in informal talks about placing elements of the system in the Jewish state. …

www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64775

Tags: by caab
No Comments »

The Jerusalem Post
September 10, 2009, Updated September 13, 2009

On Sunday, the USS Higgins hauled up its anchor and sailed out of Haifa Port where it had docked for a short visit.

An Arleigh Burke class destroyer – one of the largest and most powerful naval vessels built in the United States – the Higgins is one of 18 American ships with an Aegis interceptor system, capable of destroying enemy ballistic missiles above the atmosphere.

In just a few weeks, additional Aegis vessels will arrive here to participate in the biennial Juniper Cobra missile defense exercise that the IDF has been holding with the US European Command (EUCOM) and Missile Defense Agency since 2001.

This year’s drill, scheduled for mid-October, is being described as the largest joint exercise ever held by the countries. During it they will jointly test four ballistic missile defense systems.

In addition to the Aegis, the MDA and EUCOM are sending THAAD and Patriot 3 missile defense systems – America’s most-advanced – for the first time. …

www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1251804542241&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Tags: by caab
No Comments »

Global Security Newswire
September. 10, 2009

The Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee yesterday signed off on $7.7 billion in funding for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency in the next budget year …

The money is included in the fiscal 2010 defense appropriations bill, which was scheduled to be considered today by the full Appropriations Committee.

“The need for a robust national missile defense has never been more apparent than it is today,” Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said in a statement. “Threats from rogue nations that seek to do America and her allies harm must be countered. This funding will help ensure the safety and security of our country.”

The agency is charged with developing and deploying “an integrated, layered, ballistic missile defense system to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends against all ranges of enemy ballistic missiles in all phases of flight,” according to its Web site.

The defense legislation provides $846 million for Ground-based Midcourse Defense, which could be used to destroy ballistic missiles in the middle range of flight, and $1.1 billion for the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense program, which could be used against weapons in the final phase of flight.

The Patriot Advanced Capability 3 program would receive $569 million, while $257.4 million would go to the Standard Missile 3 …

Meanwhile, the Defense Department has issued a $93 million contract for production of the new Standard Missile 6 …

The contract calls for defense firm Raytheon Missile Systems by March 2012 to deliver 19 SM-6 missiles, along with additional components and containers for the weapons. Further contracts are expected.

The Navy could use the ship-based SM-6 against short-range ballistic missiles, along with cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and other threats …

www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090910_5589.php

Tags: by caab
No Comments »

UPI.com
Sept. 8, 2009

Israeli officials say there is a “strong possibility” that the United States will leave missile defense systems in the Jewish state after a joint missile defense exercise planned for October is concluded …

The U.S. missiles, part of the Ballistic Defense Program, would almost certainly remain under U.S. control, but it was not clear whether they would participate in defending Israel against Iranian missiles.

The report indicated that the Americans may deploy the missiles in Israel rather than in the Czech Republic and Poland as planned, in deference to Russia’s vehement objections to having U.S. missile systems so close to its border.

The Israeli report published Monday followed an Aug. 27 report in the Warsaw newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza that Washington planned to scrap its plans to base 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and an advanced radar in the Czech Republic to counter hostile missiles aimed at the United States, with Iran seen as the most likely threat. …

However, by redeploying the missiles in Israel, the Americans would be seen to be bolstering the Jewish state’s anti-missile defenses against a possible Iranian strike with its Shehab-3 ballistic missiles.

The Shehabs — Iran is believed to have 80-100 operational — are expected to be bolstered by more powerful Sajjil-2 missiles now being developed.

By adding U.S. weight to Israel’s own anti-ballistic defenses, namely the high-altitude, long-range Arrow-2 interceptor, Washington would be involving itself directly in the defense of Israel.

That would thus raise the stakes to an unprecedented degree in the event of an Iranian attack, either a first strike initiated by Tehran or one retaliating for a pre-emptive Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic. …

www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2009/09/08/US-may-redeploy-BDM-in-Israel/UPI-30531252421354/

Tags: by caab
No Comments »

September 6, 2009
Reuters
By Jasmin Melvin

The United States accounted for more than two-thirds of foreign weapons sales in 2008, a year in which global sales were at a three-year low, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

Citing a congressional study released on Friday, the Times said the United States was involved in 68.4 percent of the global sales of arms.

U.S. weapons sales jumped nearly 50 percent in 2008 despite the global economic recession to $37.8 billion from $25.4 billion the year before.

The jump defied worldwide trends as global arms sales fell 7.6 percent to $55.2 billion in 2008, the report said. …

The United States also led in arms sales to the developing world, signing 70.1 percent of these weapons agreements …

www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5851XH20090906

Tags: by caab
No Comments »

Associated Press
September 2, 2009

The United States is assuring Poland that it has not made a decision on where to deploy a European missile defense system but will keep Warsaw informed. …

U.S. national security adviser James Jones … conveyed “the United States’ firm and unwavering commitment to Poland’s security and defense.”

The message comes amid nervousness in Poland that the Obama administration is preparing to drop plans to build a missile interceptor site on Polish soil.

The plans, which also call for a radar in the Czech Republic, are opposed by Russia.

www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hqIytTYhtOLWpkZaBfoSdZ6kffQwD9AEN8804

Tags: by caab
No Comments »