Outside View: BMD tensions -- Part 1

MOSCOW, April 18 (UPI) -- On par with NATO's expansion, deployment of a U.S. missile defense system has already become the most sensitive issue in Russia's relations with the West.

When discussing the political side of this issue, many forget about its military-technical and operational aspects, which override everything else.

U.S. missile defense has two directions. The first one is theater missile defense, a system designed to protect the troops and bases of the United States and its allies against tactical missiles with a range of 420 to 480 miles. The second direction is the formation of a global system of missile defense aimed at protecting the United States and its allies against medium-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

U.S. withdrawal from the 1972 Soviet-American Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which imposed a direct ban on national missile defense and the start of its deployment, has caused the worst crisis in Russian-American relations since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Russian military and diplomats have serious grounds for concern because this treaty was the main guarantee of nuclear missile parity.

Today, the U.S. global missile defense system consists of three echelons. The main one is based on the ground, and has the greatest potential for intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles. It includes two positioning areas for ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California. These Boeing-produced missiles are targeted by early warning and acquisition radars. Such radars are located in Norway and Greenland.

In the next 10 years the ground-based echelon will be supplemented with a third positioning area in Europe. As the first two areas, it will include GBIs and early warning and acquisition radars. Today, these functions are combined in a single "firing" radar.

GBIs are the backbone of the ground-based echelon. Patriot Advanced capability and Theater High Altitude Area Air Defense missile systems will also be used against ballistic targets. The latter has a cutting edge hit-to-kill capability and is primarily designed for intercepting medium- and shorter-range missiles.

The second echelon of U.S. missile defense consists of sea-based Standard Missile-3 missiles deployed on U.S. Navy cruisers and destroyers, equipped with the Aegis information and control system. These missiles can intercept both medium-range missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles. They are on combat duty in the regions close to the territory of a potential enemy. Thus, a group of Aegis ships is now based in Japan. Needless to say, North Korea is the main U.S. enemy in the region.

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Next: Why ABM defenses can't work

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(Ilya Kramnik is a military commentator for RIA Novosti. This article is reprinted by permission of RIA Novosti. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.)

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(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)