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| Gabala Radar highlighted in U.S.-Russian military cooperation |
13:29 15-09-2009
Azerbaijani Gabala Radio Location Station might be announced the potential direct for US-Russia missile defense cooperation, believes Carl Levin, U.S. Senator from Michigan.
"Gabala RLS’s information would be useful to the United States, as a supplement to US existing radar capabilities for all ranges of missile defense," the senator told Trend News.
This issue was added to the "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010" bill which has been put on the next agenda of the US Congress.
The document Number S.1390 includes a report on potential missile defense cooperation between US and Russia on multiple military objects.
The report particularly addresses "a description of options for the sharing by such countries and organization of ballistic missile surveillance or early warning data, including data from the Russian early warning radars at Gabala in Azerbaijan, and Armavir in southern Russia or other radars, such as the United States radar proposed for deployment in the Czech Republic".
At the G8 summit in 2007, Moscow offered the U.S. joint use of the Gabala RLS in Azerbaijan, as well as the Armavir station, being constructed in southern Russia to prevent rocket launches.
The Gabala RLS, which is located in north-western Azerbaijan, was built during the Soviet times as one of the most important elements of a missile defense system of the USSR. After Azerbaijan gained independence and owned the RLS, Russia continued to use the station, despite all the upheavals of political life in Azerbaijan.
Levin said cooperation between two countries within NATO (cooperative regional missile defense architectures, joint exercises, and transparency and confidence building measures) is shown as another potential direction of US-Russia military ties.
Senator pointed out that U.S.-Russian cooperation on missile defense against Iranian missiles "even if we were simply to begin serious discussions on the subject - would send a powerful signal to Iran".
"Iran would face in a dramatic way a growing unity against her pursuit of dangerous nuclear technology," said Senator Levin.
The U.S. and other Western countries accuse Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of peaceful nuclear energy program. The UN Security Council adopted five resolutions, three of which are resolutions imposing sanctions against Iran, requiring cancellation of enrichment of uranium, and two resolutions, containing warnings. Tehran denies the charges, stating that its nuclear program is aimed solely at meeting the country’s electricity needs.
Levin added that given the disagreement between the United States and Russia over the proposed deployment of U.S. missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic, it might seem that there is no realistic chance for missile defense cooperation.
"However, this is a case where the security of each nation would be enhanced if we could find a cooperative path to address Iran’s missile capabilities. Since we have a mutual security interest in addressing a shared security challenge, surely it is worth the effort to try," added Michigan senator. MILAZ
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