September 8, 2008: Although Georgia has not been able to join
NATO, it has been able to link it's air defense radars with NATOs air defense
system. NATO engineers and technicians recently devised ways to link the
signals from the Russian made radars used in Georgia, to the monitoring systems
used by the NATO air defense network. The signals from Georgia are sent by
satellite to Europe, where NATO air defense controllers can see, in real time,
what is going on over Georgia. This makes it more difficult for the Russians to
violate Georgian air space, then lie about it.
NATO nations are also sending Georgia
new weapons, including portable anti-aircraft missiles. The Russians are not
happy about this, and are using a loophole in the ceasefire agreement
negotiated in France last month, to raid Georgian bases and continue destroying
equipment.
