events 2008

The European mid-course radar the United States proposes for the Czech Republic not only helps the missiles in Poland, but it helps all of the NATO short and medium range systems protect the region from ballistic missile attack, Deputy Director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency General Patrick O’Reilly explained during his visit to Prague January 29-31.

Asked directly by Czech media whether the X-Band radar that may be located in Brdy would have any purpose beyond providing targeting information to interceptors in Poland, General O’Reilly, a physicist and engineer with years of experience developing MD technology, explained, "The radar is not only for the missiles in Poland. It actually contributes to all the short and medium range systems in Europe. That radar helps the ALTBMD program. It helps the Patriot units in Germany; it would expand the capabilities of the Patriot units in Greece, of the Aegis ships, of the British ships, of the Dutch ships. It has a great capability because it can see very far. It is not surveillance radar, but it helps all of these missile systems be able to more accurately track a ballistic missile and they can launch earlier. Because they launch earlier, because they are using this larger radar, the area they defend is much bigger. If it took three Patriot units, for example, to protect Athens, when it is connected to the European mid-course radar, it would take one instead of three."

General O’Reilly was in Prague to provide technical expertise during U.S.-Czech negotiations on ballistic missile defense cooperation in Europe held January 31. During this visit he talked about missile defense at the Prague Security Studies Institute and spoke with a number of Czech journalists. General O’Reilly will again join negotiations in Prague February 7, 2008.

Daily Pravo Journalist Jiri Roskot, U.S. Embassy Press Attache Victoria Silverman and General O’Reilly (from left)