NATO Official Touts Progress on Missile Defense

摘要

NATO recently has warmed to the idea of acquiring a ballistic missile defense system to protect the European continent, but coming to a political consensus and finding a way to fund the system remains a challenge, a top alliance official said Aug. 14. The 26-member NATO alliance now considers ballistic missile defense to be an important part of its security strategy, according to Maj. Gen. Jaap Willemse of the Netherlands, vice chairman of the NATO Air Defense Committee. Along with any system it may develop, the organization will seek to coordinate with the U.S. and Russian ballistic missile defense systems, Willemse said during a speech at the U.S. Space and Missile Defense Conference here. NATO has been studying options for a ballistic missile defense system since 2001. In a study completed in 2004, the alliance concluded that a theater-based defense against missiles with a range up to 3,000 kilometers is technically feasible, Willemse said.