1. During the 28 June Oral Evidence session
with the Foreign Secretary, the Committee asked whether the use
of facilities in the United Kingdom would be essential to any
United States National Missile Defence (NMD) system.
RAF FYLINGDALES
2. As was noted in the earlier memorandum
we and the Ministry of Defence submitted on this issue, the United
States Administration's current plans envisage the use of the
existing early warning facilities at RAF Fylingdales for tracking
hostile ballistic missiles in mid-course.
3. The radar facilities at RAF Fylingdales
would require some upgrading for this purpose. In practice, that
would mean changes to the software which governs the operation
of the radar, and some related information technology hardware
changes.
4. The first phase of the system currently
envisaged by the United States Administration is primarily focused
on potential threats from North Korea. But it would also be intended
to have some capability against potential threats from the Middle
East. The contribution of RAF Fylingdales to such a system would
be in tracking ballistic missiles launched from the Middle East.
Without the involvement of the Upgraded Early Warning Radar at
RAF Fylingdales, the ability of the proposed system to meet threats
to the United States from North Korea would be unaffected. But
its effectiveness in meeting threats to the United States from
the Middle East would be likely to be significantly impaired.
RAF MENWITH HILL
5. RAF Menwith Hill is the site for the
European Ground Relay Station for the Space Based Infra Red System
(SBIRS). The purpose of this new network of infra-red satellites
will be to provide early warning of ballistic missile launches.
It will replace the ageing Defence Support Programmes, which has
for some years contributed to the security of the UK and NATO.
6. SBIRS was conceived separately from NMD,
and is regarded as being necessary irrespective of whether or
not the United States also decides to proceed with NMB deployment.
It is being pursued as a separate project. The previous Government
gave its agreement in March 1997 to a US request to construct
the SBIRS European Ground Relay Station at RAF Menwith Hill in
this context. This is now in progress. The satellites themselves
are due to be launched in several years' time.
7. The SBIRS system would be capable of
providing early warning of ballistic missile launches to an NMD
system, should the United States Administration decide to deploy
one. The United States may therefore wish to make use of data
relayed from SBIRS satellites via the European Ground Relay Station
at RAF Menwith Hill for NMD purposes.
UK CONSENT
8. The Government's consent would be required
before the United States could make use of either of these facilities
for NMD purposes. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in the course
of his oral evidence to the Committee, the Government has received
no such request from the United States Administration—nor
would we expect to receive such a request until and unless the
United States Administration had decided to proceed with the deployment
of such a system.
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
24 July 2000