Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
The missile defense system at Fort Greely is on track to be completed by 2012. That was the word from Assistant Missile Defense Agency Director Colonel George Bond during a presentation on for the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce yesterday. Bond says the last of three missile fields is being constructed.
Bond says missile field one will go out of service.
Missile defense system development in Alaska is not restricted to Fort Greely at Delta Junction. Bond says Clear Air Force Station in Anderson, which currently provides early warning for intercontinental and sea launched ballistic missiles will receive a major upgrade to more directly support Fort Greely missile defense.
Bond says the plan for the upgrade is not complete yet, but the project will likely take place between 2013 and 2015, and cost $200 million. He says while Clear’s mission will increase, there are no plans to bump up staffing at the Anderson based station. The 35 billion mid course missile defense system also includes four interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force base in California, which additionally serves as the system’s testing facility. Interceptor tests results have been spotty. During the latest trial, held in February, an interceptor launched from Vandenberg failed to hit a dummy target missile launched from a South Pacific island. The contract for development of the system, currently held by Boeing, is up re-bid this fall.
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