Asia-Pacific Missile Defense Cooperation and the United States 2004-2005: A Mixed Bag

Abstract : Missile defense remains a top priority for the U.S. government even after September11th. In this context, Washington is particularly keen to expand missile defense to include allies and friendly countries, and it is endeavoring to open up missile defense research and development (R and D), production, acquisition and deployment to foreign participation and partnerships. National Security Policy Directive-23 (NSPD-23), one of the Bush administrations leading policy directives on missile defense, states, Because the threats of the 21st Century also endanger our friends and allies around the world, it is essential that we work together to defend against them. The Defense Department will develop and deploy missile defenses capable of protecting not only the United States and our deployed forces, but also our friends and allies. As such, the Defense Department intends to structure the missile defense program in a manner that encourages industrial participation by friends and alliesand also promotes international missile defense cooperation. Foreign partnering in missile defense can take place in several ways, including financial investments, technology-sharing, permitting the use of foreign facilities or territory for early warning or the deployment of interceptors, the purchase or coproduction of U.S. missile defense systems, or the joint development of missile defense systems and subsystems. In this regard, the United States has in recent years reached out to friends and allies in Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific to collaborate on building and deploying missile defenses. Important non-Asian partners include the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Israel. In addition, the United States is working multilaterally with NATO on a variety of missile defense-related initiatives.