15 January 2003
U.K. Defense Secretary Calls U.S. Missile Defense Proposal "Invaluable"
(Hoon's statement to House of Commons) (2020)
In a statement to the House of Commons January 15, UK Defense
Secretary Geoffrey Hoon said the British government has reached the
preliminary conclusion "that it is in the UK's interests to agree to a
request from the US government to upgrade the early warning radar at
Fylingdales for missile defence purposes."
In explaining the UK Government's thinking on the U.S. request, Hoon
said that "a number of states of concern are making major investments
in developing ever-longer range ballistic missiles. ... These
ballistic missile programmes are being developed in order to threaten
the delivery of mass destruction - nerve gas, toxins, biological
agents or even nuclear warheads.
"It is the combination of ballistic missiles and the possession of
these weapons of mass destruction, together with the demonstrated
willingness to use these capabilities, that makes Iraq the most
immediate state threat to global security."
Characterizing missile defense as a "defensive system that threatens
no one," Hoon continued: "We see no reason to believe fears that the
development of missile defences will be strategically destabilising.
... And missile defence would only need to be used if a ballistic
missile has actually been fired. ... Once the missile is in the air,
it is unthinkable that anyone could not want us to be in a position to
shoot it down."
He pointed out that "RAF Fylingdales has operated since 1963 as a
ballistic missile early warning system, which together with other
radars in the United States and Greenland provides tactical warning
and attack assessment of a missile attack against the United Kingdom,
North America or western Europe." He added that "the [U.S.] proposal
is for an upgrade of the existing radar, not some massive new
construction."
Hoon's statement appeared on the UK Government's Web site, Ten Downing
Street (http://www.number-10.gov.uk/):
(begin text)
10 Downing Street
http://www.number-10.gov.uk/
January 15, 2003
INITIAL AGREEMENT FOR US MISSILE DEFENCE PROPOSAL
The Defence Secretary has told MPs that the government's preliminary
conclusion is that it is in the UK's interests to agree to a request
from the US government to upgrade the early warning radar at
Fylingdales for missile defence purposes.
Read the statement in full below.
"The House will recall that in the Defence Debate on 17 October I
described the work in the United States on the development of
ballistic missile defence systems and the Government's thinking on
this issue. Subsequently, on 9 December, as I informed the House
during Defence Questions that day, I placed in the Library a
discussion paper produced by the Ministry of Defence setting out the
role which active missile defence might play within a comprehensive
strategy for tackling the threat from ballistic missiles. And on 17
December, I informed the House of the receipt of a request from the
United States Government to upgrade the early warning radar at
Fylingdales for missile defence purposes.
"I have repeatedly emphasised that the Government would not respond to
such a request without a further opportunity for discussion in this
House. Next week's Defence Debate is a very timely further occasion
for the House to discuss the challenges that the United Kingdom faces
in the new international security environment, including those posed
by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic
missile technology. I hope the House will find it helpful if today I
set out today the Government's thinking on the US request.
"The Government recognises that missile defence raises important
strategic issues, as well as local concerns in North Yorkshire.
Following the release of the discussion paper in December, with its
invitation to all interested parties to contribute their views, we
have had around 300 responses. In addition, I visited North Yorkshire
last week, and heard the views of local people and their elected
representatives, as well as meeting representatives from the planning
authorities.
"We have taken these views into account as we have considered the key
question, which is the key test which the Government will apply to the
US request - would agreeing to the upgrade of Fylingdales ultimately
enhance the security of the UK and the NATO Alliance?
"The background to the US request is the marked increase in the
potential threat to our security from weapons of mass destruction and
their means of delivery. The Prime Minister has described weapons of
mass destruction as 'the key issue facing the world community'. It is
a real threat to our security, fanned by proliferation from
irresponsible regimes As we all know, threat is a combination of
intention and capability. Intentions can be debated but they can also
change at very short notice. The evidence of expanding capabilities
cannot responsibly be ignored. The hard fact is that a number of
states of concern are making major investments in developing
ever-longer range ballistic missiles. We are not referring here to
countries developing standard military technology against the risk of
conventional conflict. These ballistic missile programmes are being
developed in order to threaten the delivery of mass destruction -
nerve gas, toxins, biological agents or even nuclear warheads. It is
the combination of ballistic missiles and the possession of these
weapons of mass destruction, together with the demonstrated
willingness to use these capabilities, that makes Iraq the most
immediate state threat to global security. Elsewhere, if North Korea
ends its moratorium on flight testing, it could flight test a missile
with the potential to reach Europe and the United States within weeks.
Other countries may acquire similar missile systems, not least through
the proliferation of missile technology from North Korea.
"Based on the analysis and discussion which we have undertaken so far,
I have therefore come to the preliminary conclusion that the answer to
the US request must be yes, and that we should agree to the upgrade as
proposed.
"RAF Fylingdales has operated since 1963 as a ballistic missile early
warning system, which together with other radars in the United States
and Greenland provides tactical warning and attack assessment of a
missile attack against the United Kingdom, North America or western
Europe. It has been upgraded a number of times over the years: many
Hon. Members will recall the old "golf balls" which were dismantled in
the late 1980s and replaced with the existing pyramid-like structure.
Indeed, a life extension programme is currently underway to maintain
its capabilities to provide early warning and track objects in space.
These missions will continue to be the primary function of RAF
Fylingdales.
"There are a number of misapprehensions about the US request which I
have sought to dispel in various meetings in North Yorkshire:
- The proposal is for an upgrade of the existing radar, not some
massive new construction. No change to the external appearance of the
radar should be involved. The upgrade essentially comprises
modification to the hardware and software of the computers within the
base.
- There will be no change in the power output of the radar, which is
many times below statutory safety limits. We therefore believe that no
health risk to people or livestock would arise. We have already
explained to the local planning authorities that we see nothing in the
upgrade proposals which would require formal planning consultation,
and we have promised to provide them with full supporting evidence in
due course.
- The upgrade of the Fylingdales radar can and should be considered as
a discrete proposition. It does not commit us in any way to any deeper
involvement in missile defence - although it gives us options to do
so, should we decide on this at a later date.
- It will not involve huge costs. The upgrade will be performed at US
expense, and we do not expect any significant variation in the running
costs of RAF Fylingdales which, as is appropriate for an RAF station,
we already bear.
- Agreeing to this upgrade is not at odds with the wider approach of
our NATO allies. The Prague Summit agreed "to examine options for
addressing the increasing missile threat to Alliance territory, forces
and population centres". The Danish government has received a parallel
request to upgrade the early warning radar in Greenland.
"Missile defence is a defensive system that threatens no one. We see
no reason to believe fears that the development of missile defences
will be strategically destabilising. Reactions from Russia and China
have been measured. And missile defence would only need to be used if
a ballistic missile has actually been fired. At that point, no matter
how much we emphasise our other means of addressing the threat -
non-proliferation, intelligence, law enforcement, conflict prevention,
diplomacy and deterrence - those means will have failed and cannot be
of further help. There would be no way of preventing a devastating
impact without intercepting and destroying the missile. Once the
missile is in the air, it is unthinkable that anyone could not want us
to be in a position to shoot it down.
"These are the reasons for concluding that agreeing to the US request
would not prejudice the UK's interests. But beyond this, the key
consideration is that it would represent an invaluable extra insurance
against the development of a still uncertain, but potentially
catastrophic, threat to the citizens of this country. It does not yet
represent an immediate threat to us as of today. But there is a
distinct possibility that this threat could materialise in the
relatively near future. It would therefore be irresponsible for the
Government to leave the United Kingdom without a route map to acquire
a defence against this potential threat. An upgraded Fylingdales radar
would be a vital building-block on which missile defence for this
country and for our European neighbours could later be developed, if
the need arises and if we so decide.
"We are confident that agreeing to the request will not significantly
increase the threat to the UK. The security interests of the UK are
already closely identified with those of the US and other NATO allies,
and this will not change regardless of decisions on missile defence.
Keeping a low profile and hoping for the best is not an option. We
also believe that any increased threat to RAF Fylingdales itself is
negligible. For the foreseeable future, states of concern are very
unlikely to have the sophisticated capability or size of arsenal to
consider targeting specific points or military installations. Long
range missiles in their hands will essentially be weapons of terror.
And as with all military installations in the UK, the station is well
defended against terrorist attack. But we must not forget that what
drives the threat against the UK is not the deployment of missile
defences, but those states of concern who develop or acquire weapons
of mass destruction and their means of delivery.
"The upgrade would indicate no commitment to further involvement with
missile defence deployments. Separately, we intend to agree a new
technical Memorandum of Understanding with the United States, which
would give us full insight into the development of their missile
defence programme and the opportunity for UK industry to reap the
benefits of participation. But any UK acquisition of missile defence
would be subject to a separate decision, at the relevant time. We must
approach this in stages, considering each step in the light of how
both the threat and the relevant technologies evolve.
"The Government has not yet replied to the US Administration on its
request to upgrade the Fylingdales radar. I await with interest the
views which Hon Members will wish to put forward, today and in next
week's debate. But it is only right that the House should know the
Government's preliminary conclusion that it is in the UK's interests
to agree to the request. From the UK's national perspective, this
specific decision is one that has real potential benefits at
essentially no financial cost. But it will ensure that, if in the
coming years we find that a potential devastating threat is becoming a
reality, we have the opportunity to defend against it."
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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