Missiles of the north: if the U.S. Department of Defense decides to develop its Missile Defense Program in Alaska, billions of dollars and many jobs are headed this way.

• Author: Pohl, John

Alaska has long played a strategic role in the national security of the United States. Just a partial list of accomplishments includes the defense of the Aleutians and the building of the Alaska Highway during World War II, and the siting of Nike missiles and development of Distance Early Warning radar sites during the Cold War.

Currently, Alaska-based air and land forces afford Northern Hemisphere power projection. These are only a few examples, and the state's role continues. Within a few years, Alaska may be asked to serve again: this time providing top gun coverage against ballistic missiles fired upon the United States.

THE NEED

In the last decade, the threat of global conflict and large-scale attacks on the United States has been greatly reduced by the end of the Cold War. However, many defense analysts argue that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them continue to pose a threat to the United State's security.

According to the Defense Department's Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, over 20 nations - some potentially, if not outright, hostile to the U.S.-possess or are developing nuclear, biological or chemical weapons. Ballistic missiles have also proliferated widely and have been used in many regional conflicts. The future may bring the proliferation of longer-range missiles, which can be used to attack or threaten the United States.

Concern over the possibility of a missile attack by a rogue nation was heightened last summer when Communist North Korea test-launched a multi-stage ballistic missile over the north Pacific. The missile splashed down just off the Aleutian Islands. This event has been cited as strong evidence that a National Missile Defense system is needed by the nation.

PROTECTING THE U.S.

According to the Department of Defense, the current National Missile Defense program is developing and planning to deploy, if necessary, a ground-based missile defense system. The system would be designed to protect the United States against limited ballistic missile threats. Before deployment, the National Missile Defense system is required to ensure that, with a very high probability of success, no weapons of mass destruction impact on U.S. territory.

To accomplish this requires the development and testing of several integrated elements. These elements will work concomitantly to detect, track and intercept a limited number of hostile ballistic missiles aimed at any of the 50 states. Possible launch threats in the coming years may range from a rogue nation, or from an unauthorized launch or accidental launch from a current nuclear power.

Fact sheets published by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization...