Norwegian radar tied to US defence

sunb!

Forum Barbecuer
Our defense minister go on yet another blunder - yet we all knew what the radar was ment to do never the less.

Vardø radar tied to US defense

Aftenposten English Web Desk

A controversial radar installation in the northern Norwegian town of Vardø is actually part of the US rocket defense system. Norwegian officials have long denied its use by the Americans

Outgoing Defense Minister Kristin Krohn Devold earlier denied that the radar system has any ties to the American rocket defense system, as have her predecessors. The radar, they've claimed, is meant to keep track of satellites and to strengthen security in Norway's northern region.

A former US defense department worker and a rocket expert at prestigious Cornell University in New York now claim otherwise.

Philip E Coyle, who formerly evaluated weapons systems at the Pentagon, told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) on Tuesday that the Vardø radar can gather important information about either a Russian or a Chinese rocket attack against the US over the North Pole.

"The Vardø radar is very important for the American rocket defense program," Coyle said.

Senior researcher George N Lewis at Cornell has no doubts about it, either. "The Vardø radar absolutely plays a role in the American rocket defense," he said.

The supplier of the radar, US firm Raytheon, also describes it as part of the company's jobs for the US rocket defense system, even long after the radar was moved to Norway.

Russia has complained about the installation and claimed repeatedly that it's part of the US defense system, and therefore violates international agreements.
 
Update:

On Wednesday the United States issued a press release through its embassy in Oslo, denying any connection between the Vardø radar system and the US missile defense system.

"Contrary to recent reports that have appeared in the media, the Vardø radar system has never been a part of the US missile defense system. Furthermore, there are no plans to include the Vardø radar system in the US missile defense system in the future," the statement said.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1132171.ece


One more today:

Vardø radar aided Iraq war
Senior adviser Terje Wahl at the Norwegian Space Center said that the radar facility at Vardø, Finnmark in northern Norway played a key role in the US-led invasion of Iraq

Vardø's radar was used to prevent collisions between satellites over Iraq, and much of the precision bombing over Iraq was steered by satellites in fixed position over the equator.

"That both commercial and military satellites could operate securely without colliding with anything was an important precondition for operations in Iraq," Wahl told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).

Wahl said that the important role of Vardø has been noted by both Norwegian and American sources. The Finnmark facility has unique technical capacity and is situated much farther east than most of the USA's radar systems, allowing it to monitor stationary satellites over Bangladesh, according to US military sources.

Norwegian defense intelligence sources would not deny the claim that Vardø had a role in the Iraq war but preferred that the question be posed to American authorities.

Divisional director at the Defense Intelligence Service, Tom Rykken, said that information on objects in space was provided.

"We do this daily. How the information is used concretely, by the USA, for example, is difficult for me to say," Rykken told NRK.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1133017.ece
 
I think the interesting point is that if something is being used to defend the united states, thaeen it must be evil and stopped immediately. Is this doing any harm to Norway, no. But because it might save millions of lives, it is bad, because those are american lives.
Just another example of the leftist socialist european press. We destroyed communism, and , therefore any chance of a socialist world for decades. Therefore we are evil.
Lets just postulate a world where the us minded it's business and let everyone kill themselves as the socialists wish: Iraq still in Kuwait, Noriega still pushing drugs in Panama, and better yet, Stalin II still in the Kremlin.
 
masterblaster said:
Is this doing any harm to Norway, no.

It does, actually... We got a new gouvernment where Socialistic Left is in Gouvernment ( :x ), they are against NATO membership and I am most sure they will use this situation the best they can to continue their Anti American agenda.... It makes me shiver, the Northern Flank of NATO is thin enough as it is... :evil:
 
It makes me shiver, the Northern Flank of NATO is thin enough as it is...
\

While i agree with your post, i dont think you have to worry about T-80s rolling through your streets anytime soon.
 
I remember reading the email about the radar installation being complete and operational but what they sent us didn't say anything about the MDS. I think I still have the "brochure" that we got, I'll see if I can find it and also if it is classified, if not, I'll scan it in and post it.

The trawler is just capturing a signature of the transmitter, if it is transmitting, but I think it is a high gain receiver. They monitored our missile sites for all three years I was in the ADA. Occasionally, an attempt was made at a jamming sweep but we would just lower power until the signal was in the grass and they would leave.
 
what international laws does russia say the installation breaks?

and like america has typically given a rats :cen: about international law, they do pretty much what they please. admitedly it doesnt help that some laws are rather fuzzy and ill-defined.

re rabs comment on defending yourself. well, doesn't australia have a right to defend itself? do we put radar instalations in other countries?

rather than countering the arguement that the installation breaks international law, it seems its more convenient to throw forth the moralist word that at least it is doing some good and saving lifes. does that mean we should nuke the middle east. cuz i mean, it would stop them killing each other eh?
 
Locke said:
what international laws does russia say the installation breaks?

and like america has typically given a rats :cen: about international law, they do pretty much what they please. admitedly it doesnt help that some laws are rather fuzzy and ill-defined.

re rabs comment on defending yourself. well, doesn't australia have a right to defend itself? do we put radar instalations in other countries?

rather than countering the arguement that the installation breaks international law, it seems its more convenient to throw forth the moralist word that at least it is doing some good and saving lifes. does that mean we should nuke the middle east. cuz i mean, it would stop them killing each other eh?

Locke, if I were to guess, I'd guess you were an isolationist. That's what you guys said about the US before WWII. You seemed to appreciate a little intervention then. What happened? Do you think we can build fences high enough to keep us safe from a rogue state? All boundaries are imaginary now, it happens, adapt or die is the amendment to the law of nature.
 
re rabs comment on defending yourself. well, doesn't australia have a right to defend itself? do we put radar instalations in other countries?

Well im sure you could if you wanted to. Do you need to, hell no becaue you rely on the United States for your defense needs, agasint china and russia, india and any other of your nuclear armed neighbros. They know attacking Australia with missles would be like attacking the united states. Not only does australia fall under this protective umbrella, most of the world does. So maybe its in the best interest of the world if we have the ablitity to detect missles.
 
One of the major issues here is that we joined NATO under the circumstances of not allowing any foreign military bases, installations or nuclear weapon stockpiles on our soil. If our former defence minister knew something about this radar site then we may have violated a nearly 60 years old defence policy - and our role as a peace negotiating NATO member should be seriously reconsidered.

The cold war is over, but the situation in the north is the same. There are even a still continuing border dispute where large resources of fish, oil and natural gas are issues. The trawler incident is only one of the many that have occoured. Russian trawlers are on occasion arrested and brought to Norwegian port for further investigation.

The NATO nothern flank is still one of the heaviest military zones in the world - of course USA wants to know what's going on just as much as our own intelligence service.

Another interesting issue is that a recent questionaire disovered that 10% of the population fear a Russian attack in the north - 4% more than previous years and the support for continued NATO membership have grown as well (unsure of the numbers, but I believe it is up to 67% or so).

It may see calm on the surface but below there are so many unsolved questions... Unfortunately...
 
Sunb, how sure are you that the radar belongs to the United States? The Norwegian Government may have purchased a brand new information system to keep tabs on Russia. The information I received was a sale of a radar system to Norway, not a lease/lend deal. Raytheon just doesn't do that. If this is a US DOD installed system, nothing would be mentioned about who built and installed or is servicing a radar system.

In my opinion, Russia isn't about to nuke anyone that they can bluff. Nuclear blackmail built the Soviet Union. The threat alone is usually enough for any Nation they have some design on. NATO membership is a nice ace up the sleeve when the Big Bear gets tired of Norway or anyone else boarding their vessels for whatever reason.
 
I am not sure that the radar belongs to the US - but your men have stated that it is US equipment, something our guys denies - honestly I give a rats :cen: on the ownership. :roll:

The political discussion is of great interest, perhaps on the domestic frontier only but you see the big picture?
 
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