I sense a continental ballistic missile defence option for Australia developing here.
1) Land Based AEGIS / SPY-1 / SM-3
See:
w w w.strategypage.com/htmw/htada/articles/20080718.aspx
2) SM-3 Block II
And then remember that the fully 21 inch diameter SM-3 Bock II missile under development will have the range / speed / altitude to be able to intercept IRBMs or even ICBMs as well as MRBMs.
Comments?
I am constantly bemused by the lack of interest in BMD for Australia. I know it could be costly. I know it has politically incorrect overtones dating from the MAD mindset of the cold war.
And before anyone says that ballistic missile defence of continental Australia would be technically impossible without purchasing GBI from the US, surely continental BMD would be possible with SM-3 Block II?
And before anyone says that BMD with AEGIS and SM-3 Block II would divert AWDs from what they are needed for, that is true! Hence my interest in Israeli land based AEGIS!
And before anyone says that BMD is an unnecessary luxury and that an attack is very unlikely, I would argue that a ballistic missile threat to Australia is much more likely than a DOA like amphibious invasion! Especially as alternate blackmail-able targets in North American, Europe, and Japan get BMD protection and Australia is left out of any umbrella!
And before anyone says it would be costly, how much more would it cost to get a fourth set of AWD AEGIS / SPY-1D / VLS / SM-3 fitout and land base it like the Israelis are talking about? An incremental cost at most. You would have to provide duplicate combat data systems, but they run on COTS computers now anyhow! And one AWD’s AEGIS fitout would provide four SPY-1D panels, at least two terminal illuminators, and many VLSs. Surely enough to provide two to four land based BMD installations? Each consisting of one SPY-1D, one combat data system, one eight cell VLS loaded with only three or four SM-3s?
Joint venture with Japan and the USN?
Comments as to the necessity and practically and cost of all this? |