missile defense cooperation

U.S.-Czech Events Related to Missile Defense Cooperation

The United States and Czech Republic began bilateral consultations on missile defense cooperation in 2002.

May 5, 2008 - Czech MFA conference “After the Bucharest NATO Summit”. NATO Secretary General, U.S. U/S Rood and others participate.

April 3, 2008 - U.S. Secretary of State Rice and Czech Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg announce a bilateral Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement has been reached.

March 17-18, 2008 - U.S. Secretaries of Defense and Foreign Affairs meet in Moscow with their Russian counterparts, as well as President Putin and president-elect Medvedev, on missile defense and strategic arms reduction issues.

February 27, 2008 - Prime Minister Topolanek and President Bush discuss missile defense at the White House.

February 22, 2008 - MDA commissions a study of Czech Republic universities, institutes, and industry capabilities related to ballistic missile defense, signed by the dean of the Czech Technical University in Prague and representative of the U.S. Air Force European Office of Aerospace Research and Development (EOARD).

February 7, 2008 - MDA Deputy Director General O’Reilly and acting U/S Rood are in Prague for continued negotiations on the BMD agreement.

January 28-31, 2008 - Ambassador McDonald visits Prague for SOFA negotiations. MDA Deputy Director General O’Reilly in Prague for technical consultations related to the negotiations.

January 15-17, 2008 - MDA Director General Obering visits Prague for the “Czech-U.S. BMD Industry, Research and Business Seminar”.

December 14, 2007 - Acting U/S Rood visits Prague negotiations related to the operation of the radar in the Czech Republic. 

December 11-13, 2007 – U.S. Ambassador Jackson McDonald, Senior U.S. Advisor for Security Negotiations, is in Prague for negotiations on a status of forces agreement.

November 5-6, 2007 - Acting U/S Rood visits Prague for another round of negotiations related to the operation of the radar in the Czech Republic.  U.S. and Czech negotiators announce that a Czech commander will be present at the Brdy facility.

October 30 - November 1, 2007 - Ambassador Jackson McDonald, Senior U.S. Advisor for Security Negotiations, is in Prague for continued negotiations on a status of forces agreement.

October 23, 2007 - U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in Prague for official discussions on security issues, including missile defense, with Czech leaders.

October 11-13, 2007 - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with top Russian leaders.  European missile defense was among the security issues discussed.

September 14, 2007 – U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher, Rep. James Cooper and Rep. Michael Turner meet with Czech political leaders in Prague.

September 11-12, 2007 – Ambassador Jackson McDonald, Senior U.S. Advisor for Security Negotiations is in Prague for the second round of negotiations related to status of forces.

September 5, 2007 – Assistant Secretary of State John C. Rood travels to Prague for the second round of MD negotiations held at the Czech Foreign Ministry. 

August 29-30, 2007 - Congressman Trent Franks, member of the House Committee on Armed Services and co-founder of the Bipartisan House Missile Defense Caucus, visits Prague for discussions with Czech leaders.

August 17, 2007 -  The Czech government publishes a 200-page analysis by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Defense concluding, “The findings of the tentative assessment are such that the main beam of the radar under the set operational conditions cannot expose the people living near the X-Band radar to its effects.”

August 13-16, 2007 – U.S. Site Survey Team and Czech Ministry of Defense officials survey the proposed MD location in the Brdy military area.

July 25, 2007 – British Government announces further US-UK Missile Defense cooperation. Defense Minister Browne told Parliament that, “Through scientific cooperation and by allowing the use of facilities in the UK, we are helping to build future protection for our citizens.” 

July 19, 2007 – Czech MD Spokesman and Ministry of Defense officials host media at the proposed MD location in the Brdy military area.

July 3, 2007 - Czech State Security Council proposes that the U.S. missile defense radar be placed about two kilometers from the village of Misov in the Pilsen region.

June 4-5, 2007 – President George W. Bush visits the Czech Republic.

May 25, 2007 – The Czech government appoints Tomas Klvana to act as its Communications Coordinator and Spokesman on Missile Defense.

May 22, 2007 – Assistant Secretary of State John C. Rood visits Prague for the first round of negotiations related to missile defense cooperation.

May 14-19, 2007 – U.S. site survey team visits Brdy.  Czech government officials announce that the proposed location of the radar will be at least 5 km from local residents.

May 10-11, 2007 – U.S. Ambassador John Loftis visits Prague for the first round of negotiations related to a status of forces agreement.

April 23, 2007 – MDA head General “Trey” Obering visits Prague.

April 18, 2007 – NATO North Atlantic Council meeting and NATO Russia Council focused on missile defense.

April 14-20, 2007 – Several Czech parliamentarians visit Kwajalein Island for a first-hand look at the X-band radar which would be moved to the Czech Republic.

April 1-7, 2007 – U.S. site survey spectrum analysis team visits Brdy.

March 28, 2007 - The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms by diplomatic note that the Czech Republic will enter into negotiations with the U.S. on hosting a missile defense facility on Czech territory. 

March 27, 2007 - Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman visits Prague.

January 19, 2007 - The United States proposes formal negotiations related to further missile defense cooperation, including the construction of a missile defense radar facility in the Brdy military area.

October 17-19, 2006 - Polish and Czech journalists visit the ground based missile defense facility at Ft. Greely, Alaska.

July 16-26, 2006 - A U.S. site survey teams to examine the proposed sites.

February 4, 2004 - A Czech government resolution provides the legal framework for bilateral technical discussions. Following this resolution, the Czech Ministry of Defense provides the U.S. Government with preliminary technical information about intended localities for the facility.

November 18, 2002 – NATO Summit in Prague initiates a NATO Missile Defense feasibility study to examine options for protecting Alliance territory.