US scraps SM-3 IIB missile interceptors plan in Poland

USS Lake Erie (CG-70) SM-3: photo - wikicommons

Though Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said Friday that the United States' commitment to defences in Europe remained “ironclad”, the fourth part of the European Missile Defence Plan, stationing SM-3 IIB interceptors in Poland by 2022, will be dropped in favour of building up air defences in the west coast of the US.

Missile batteries will still be stationed in Poland and Romania, however, James Miller, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Policy at the Department of Defence later clarrified.

"The prior plan had four phases. The third phase involved the deployment of interceptors in Poland. And we will continue with phases one through three," Miller said.

"In the fourth phase, in the previous plan, we would have added some additional type of interceptors - the so-called SM-3 IIB - would have been added to the mix in Poland. We no longer intend to add them to the mix, but we'll continue to have the same number of deployed interceptors in Poland that will provide coverage for all of NATO in Europe," he added.

The US is continuing a shift away from prioritizing European defences at the expense of new perceived threats coming from Asia, with the White House seeing Iran and North Korea as being the main cause of concern, and not eastern Europe, as was the case during the Cold War.

The US will now add 14 interceptors against incoming missile threats, to the 30 already in place in California and Alaska by 2017. (pg)

source: BBC