The head of the US Missile Defense Agency Lieutenant General Patrick O’Reilly was in Anchorage today speaking to Commonwealth North about plans for upgrades at Clear Air Force station located about 80 miles Southwest of Fairbanks and plans for Fort Greeley. O’Reilly first talked about threats from other nations. He said the growth has been steady for 20 years and is accelerating, saying there are nearly 6000 missiles and nearly a thousand launchers in countries other than the US, Russia, China and NATO. O’Reilly says it paints a disconcerting picture for the future. He says he’s continually asked why there isn’t a build up on the east coast rather than Alaska to defend against Iran. He says he has to remind people that maps are flat but the world is not.
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
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