Russian Radar
Proposed Alternative
Poland Is A Secondary Player With Missile Defense System On Polish Soil
Warsaw, Poland 17 July 2007 Poland gets most of the attention because it will host the missile defense system interceptor base. But the missiles, described as missiles that may not work to defend against a threat that may not exist, are a cover so an intelligence gathering radar system can be installed in Czech.
Even if the missiles do eventually work, the Russians have admitted that ten missiles in Poland are no threat to the existing Russian nuclear arsenal. And now they further boast of a new missile that can avoid any defense system.
The Russian objections to the missile system make no sense until one looks at the Czech radar system.
The radar in Czech is a serious problem for the Russians. It is such a problem that they offered to upgrade one of their radar stations so that it could be used as part of the system.
The Russians just don't want that radar in Czech. They are trying to kill it by putting pressure on Poland. Why Poland? Because the missiles scare people and the Poles are convenient to scare.
While there are questions about the interceptors, there is no question about the radar in Czech working. It will work and it will be able to look all around the horizon.
It will be able to look deep inside Russia.
Russia knows that with the missile system in place, the US will have a modern radar station close to the Russian border that can keep track of what Russia is doing.
It might be that the radar station, and for that matter, the missle base in Poland, will also have electronic intelligence gathering capability.
It is intelligence gathering, which includes radar data, that provides the first line of defense against a missile launch. It allows action instead of reaction.
Nobody with any sense in Europe wants to have to depend on an interceptor that might not work to defend them. They want to take action to prevent a launch. Having to launch an interceptor means an intelligence failure and failure of diplomacy based on the use of intelligence.
So the importance of the radar data and intelligence gathering cannot be overstated. It is the most important function of the system.
The benefits to Poland will be varied and significant. And putting missiles on an American controlled missile base in Poland is a huge undertaking for Poland. It cannot be belittled one iota.
But the missiles that may not work against a threat that may not develop are scenery that divert public attention from the real action being played backstage in Czech.
Poland is an extremely important player, but in the end, still a secondary player in the bigger game.
