NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE: AN ALASKA OPPORTUNITY.

• Author: GENERAL, BRIGADIER
• Position: Brief Article

America's initial National Missile Defense capability is increasingly likely to be built in Alaska. Our superior geographic location is driving that decision in Washington D.C. Alaskans also have a decision to make: how best to capitalize on this opportunity.

National Missile Defense is a $15 billion federal program to provide for the defense of the United States against an accidental or deliberate attack by a limited number of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The National Missile Defense program in Alaska will initially bring some $1 billion in construction to the state. Assets will probably include a command center and launch complex of 100 missiles near Delta Junction, radars on Shemya and near Anderson, and an alternate command center near Anchorage. Crewing the system will be the Alaska Army National Guard as part of its Homeland Defense mission.

When complete, in 2005-2007, some 300 new jobs will be created. The military will look to the private sector to contract for operating, testing and repairing radars, missiles, data systems, telecommunications and software. National Missile Defense will also bring millions of dollars annually to Alaska for facilities, utilities, maintenance and transport. However, this is the tip of an economic iceberg as the real revenue is in the commercialization of space and high technology applications. In 1995 the domestic U.S. revenue for commercial space activities exceeded $7 billion.

We don't want to merely lease our latitude, reaping only construction jobs and maintenance and service contracts. We must capitalize on the less readily apparent but enormous potential National Missile Defense posesses for far greater, longer-lasting impacts on Alaska's economy-by spawning spin-off benefits in the education and technology sectors.

America is in the midst of a transformation. The basis of our economic strength is more and more based on technology--especially information technology. At what pace will Alaska move forward from its territorial era, resource extraction dominated economy and join the dazzling and dizzying NASDAQ-based new economy? Indeed, technological advancements have already allowed Alaska industries to enhance exploration, production and transport of our abundant renewable and nonrenewable natural resources. Such improvements have helped meet competition from other regions where resources may be cheaper to harvest or closer to markets.

Similar transformations elsewhere did not simply...