Yorkshire CND - Menwith Hill - report and letters

29 July 2007
Menwith Hill - report and letters
The Guardian, BBC, CAAB

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2135010,00.html

Yesterday in parliament:

Missile defence

The government has agreed a US request for RAF Menwith Hill to be used as part of the American missile defence system, Mr Browne announced.

He said that the system was "a building block to enhance our national and collective security" and the government would continue to support it.

"We have no plans to site missile interceptors in the UK but will keep this under review as the threat evolves."

27 July 2007
A new arms race
Letters
The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,2135915,00.html

Des Brown's statement (From star visits to Star Wars: parliament has a clear-out, July 26) that the UK government has given formal consent to the US government to use the American base at Menwith Hill is another example of how controversial and important news is once again buried and slipped through by this government.

So no change there.

It is outrageous that there has been no public debate or parliamentary scrutiny about this decision.

The presence of the US visiting forces puts all our security at risk, and now just up the road we also have the go-ahead for missile defence. In the meantime, this dangerous and crazy offensive system does not work, grinds on devouring billions of dollars, upsets various states and worryingly starts another arms race.

The trouble is that we warned about this when we first found out about the connection with Menwith Hill (later Fylingdales) in 1997.

Lindis Percy
Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases (CAAB)

25 July 2007
UK agrees missile defence request
The BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6916262.stm

Menwith Hill

Britain has agreed to a US request for the RAF Menwith Hill monitoring station in North Yorkshire to be used as part of its missile defence system.

Defence Secretary Des Browne said the system was "a building block to enhance our national and collective security".

CND said it was "outraged" by the move which it said had been done without consulting MPs or the public.

Mr Browne also said a radar upgrade at RAF Fylingdales near Whitby, started in 2003 by the US, was complete.

The Fylingdales radar is expected to switch operations to the new equipment next month.

"There is no change to the existing UK-US mission for the radar and the station remains under full UK command," added Mr Browne.

"The UK will have full insight into the operation of the US missile defence system when missile engagements take place that are wholly or partly influenced by data from the radar at RAF Fylingdales."

Warning data

Mr Browne said the work at RAF Menwith Hill would support the existing UK-US missile warning mission and enable satellite data to be passed into the new US missile defence system.

"Equipment will be installed and operated by the US government to allow receipt of satellite warnings of potentially hostile missile launches, and will pass this warning data both to UK and US authorities.

"The data will also be fed into the US ballistic missile defence system for use in their response to any missile attack on the US," Mr Browne said.

"This will guarantee the UK's continued access to essential missile attack warning data, as well as enhancing the US's ability to deal with any attack aimed at their country."

'Outrageous'

The receiving antenna equipment already exists at RAF Menwith Hill and installing communications hardware is the only extra work required.

But anti-nuclear campaigners CND accused the government of "whipping up tensions in Europe in order supposedly to fight a threat that does not exist".

CND chairwoman Kate Hudson said: "This is an outrageous announcement made with total contempt for democracy and consultation.

"Where was the chance for MPs, let alone the public to discuss tying in Menwith Hill to the so-called missile defence system?"

"It looks like the MoD and the US have deceived Parliament and deceived the British people when previously the minister dismissed suggestions that developments at Menwith Hill would form part of NMD."

She said Mr Browne was "disingenuous" to suggest missile defence systems were not for offensive use.

"This totally unnecessary system will protect no-one, but threaten all - by giving the US the ability to strike with impunity without any fear of retaliation," she added.

CND also disputed the government's claim that Menwith Hill would remain under UK command, saying many of the personnel based there were from America.

30 July 2007
Letters
The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,2137474,00.html

The decision by the US Congress to remove funding for missile defence interceptors in Poland (Report, July 27) suggests that US legislators take a more cautious view of this destabilising and unnecessary programme than does our own government. This week's MoD announcement that the US base at Menwith Hill is to be used for US missile defence further puts Britain on the frontline in future US wars.

If Gordon Brown wishes not to repeat the deeply unpopular support that Tony Blair gave to George Bush he need only be as radical as the US Congress is prepared
to be.

Kate Hudson
Chair, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

27 July 2007
Des Brown (Secretary of State for Defence) gives permission for Menwith Hill to be used by US government in Missile Defense
CAAB

www.caab.org.uk

Ballistic Missile Defence

The Secretary of State for Defence (Des Browne): On 5 February 2003 the the Secretary of State for Defence announced the Government’s agreement to a request from the US to upgrade the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radar at RAF Fylingdales.

The UK already makes a contribution to US capability in the area of missile warning, through our operation of the radar at RAF Fylingdales.

That upgrade process is now complete and we expect that the radar will switch its operations to the new equipment from August 2007. There is no change to the existing UK-US mission for the radar and the station remains under full UK command. Its primary mission is to warn of ballistic missile attack, with secondary functions of space surveillance and satellite warning.

The radar will contribute to the US ballistic missile defence system, alongside a global network of other US-owned sensors based on land, at sea and in space and the data it produces is shared between the UK and US military authorities.

The UK will have full insight into the operation of the US missile
defence system when missile engagements take place that are wholly or partly influenced by data from the radar at RAF Fylingdales.

Also, at RAF Menwith Hill, equipment will be installed and operated by the US Government to allow receipt of satellite warnings of potentially hostile missile launches, and will pass this warning data to both UK and US authorities. The data will also be fed into the US ballistic missile defence system for use in their response to any missile attack on the US. This will guarantee the UK’s continued access to essential missile attack warning data, as well as enhancing the US’s ability to deal with any attack aimed at their country.

The Government welcome US plans to place further missile defence assets in Europe to address the emerging threat from rogue states. We welcome assurances from the US that the UK and other European allies will be covered by the system elements they propose to deploy to Poland and the Czech Republic and we have been exploring ways in which the UK can continue to contribute to the US system as well as to any future NATO missile defence system.

These developments reflect the Government’s continuing commitment to supporting the development of the US missile defence system. We continue to regard this system as a building block to enhance our national and collective security. NATO has made no decisions about acquiring missile defence for the alliance, and we want to examine how the US system can be complemented and built upon to provide wider coverage for Europe. We have no plans to site missile interceptors in the UK but will keep this under review as the threat evolves. We also want to reassure Russia about the defensive nature and intent of the US system as it develops and to take forward alliance cooperation with them in the field of missile defence.