U.S. Missile Test Delayed For Technical, Not Political, Reasons
1. “U.S. Missile Test Delayed For Technical, Not Political, Reasons” Bloomberg.com - October 29, 2001 - By Tony Capaccio
Washington The United States delayed its next test of a missile defense system for technical reasons unrelated to concerns the test might violate the Antiballistic Missile treaty with Russia and derail ongoing discussions to revise or end the pact, defense officials confirmed.
The intercept flight test was postponed from Oct. 24 to possibly midDecember to allow more evaluation of the Raytheon Co. warhead, a Pentagon spokesman confirmed.
“The program manager decided some time ago to add some ground tests for the warhead,” Air Force Lt. Col. Rick Lehner, a missile defense spokesman, said of the delay of the next test of the groundbased missile defense missile system.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld didn’t say this Thursday when he announced the test delay during his daily press briefing. He said the concern was that “a small minority of people” might suggest the U.S. was violating the treaty.
“We are voluntarily taking some steps to avoid having some people contend that something we might do would be characterized as not consistent with the treaty,” Rumsfeld said.
Rumsfeld said the planned first use of a Navy Aegis cruiser radar to track an interceptor missile was open to question. His remarks resulted in news stories saying the administration delayed the test unilaterally out of concern it might derail talks between President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The ABM treaty has been the foundation of nuclear arms negotiations between the U.S. and Russia for nearly 30 years. The U.S. says it’s blocking its effort to develop and test a missile defense. Putin has said he won’t end the pact and an agreement can be reached.
Bush and Putin are set to discuss the treaty when they meet in midNovember in Washington and at Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas. The negotiations are linked to talks on reducing nuclear arsenals.
Aegis Wasn’t Critical
The Aegis radar’s use wasn’t critical to the intercept test and would play no role in the tracking the surrogate “enemy” missile or guiding the U.S. interceptor to the target, Lehner said. The intercept attempt will go forward without the Aegis radar but not until the Raytheon warhead undergoes more ground tests, he said.
Rumsfeld today said he apologized if his Thursday remarks were incomplete.
“The fact that the missile is still fired and other tests are performed on it, is a perfectly acceptable thing,” Rumsfeld said. `The important thing is we are not using” the Aegis radar “and not putting the United States in the position where a small cluster of lawyers could argue we are violating the treaty.”
The December test will be the first since July when the Raytheon warhead scored a direct intercept after two earlier misses.
Boeing Co. is the top contractor on the missile defense program. Lockheed Martin Corp. builds the Aegis radar that’s being eyed for missile defense.
2. “Excerpts from DoD News Briefing Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Myers” Monday, Oct. 29, 2001 Noon EST
Q: Mr. Secretary, I’d like to take you back to Thursday and your missile defense announcement. [ transcript ] This is a little offpoint, but you very forcefully came out and said that the U.S. is going to delay the next test because of concerns over the ABM Treaty, potential violations.
Did you know at the time that that test was actually delayed for technical reasons unrelated to the ABM Treaty and will occur in December at some point without the Aegis radar that is in violation of the treaty? And your pronouncement was somewhat incomplete, I thought.
Rumsfeld: Well, if it was, I’m sorry. I what my understanding of this is that there are a series of tests that are planned, and one of which has already happened, I believe, and there are three or four more two or three more, and that the test will go forward, but we will not be able to use a certain radar to track that missile, because some not all, but some might contend that it would be could be considered a violation of the ABM Treaty. We do not intend to violate the ABM Treaty, and we shall not.
Q: But your remarks the other day did imply that the only reason it was being delayed was because of ABM concerns, when apparently there were technical reasons that are going to delay it anyway.
Rumsfeld: First of all, there’s no it; there were four things, as I recall, not a singular thing. And second, the fact that the missile is still fired and other tests are performed on it is a perfectly acceptable thing. The important thing is that we are not using one radar on it, because of the reason I just stated.
Now if one of those tests is cancelled or has been cancelled for technical reasons, so be it. All I know is, at the time I was asked what should they do, I said, “Do not violate the treaty.” And if later there was a technical reason and we we could not have used radar anyway, that’s life.
But there were three or four of these instances, and in each case we made the decision not to put the United States in a position where a small cluster of lawyers could argue that we were violating the treaty.