Australia likes U.S. Missile Defence System

Australia fears long-range missiles hitting the country and is interested in joining the U.S. missile defense system. Australia could be threatened by a ballistic missile, perhaps with a nuclear warhead, said the defence minister. Australia has not officially signed on but its Defense Science and Technology Organization is involved with the U.S. in what the latest defense white paper calls a "close dialogue."
— Sydney Morning Herald.

French Plan Huge Military Increase

The French military planning bill for 2003-2008 includes a huge increase in defence spending to increase France's military preparedness and overseas presence. Parliament adopted the bill on Jan. 14, including an equipment budget of US$93.8 billion for the six-year period, up from theUS$82.4 billion between 1997 and 2002. Included is a second aircraft carrier, to be ordered in 2005, new combat helicopters, Leclerc main battle tanks, Rafale fighter jets and a fourth nuclear attack submarine.
— Agence France-Presse.

Domestic Role for Bundeswehr?

German Defense Minister Peter Struck said he is considering a proposal to amend the constitution allowing an expansion of the role of the military to assist in domestic missions against large-scale terrorist actions. Now, the Bundeswehr is only able to conduct missions inside of Germany when the country faces the threat of invasion or in response to natural catastrophes or large accidents. It may not be used for police functions, such as crowd control.
— Deutsche Welle.

Russian Space Defence

The Russian Space Forces commander said Moscow needs to sharply increase its spending on space-based military technology. Without immense investment, it will be impossible to guarantee strategic security in the world, he said. Russia's tracking and surveillance satellites have been wearing out to the point that Moscow can no longer track all of the country and has large global blind spots where it cannot follow potential missile launches.
— Interfax-Military News Agency.

Is NATO holed below the waterline?

NATO has weathered storms before in its 54-year life but the current crisis marks a new low. For the first time, alliance members are publicly airing their differences in less than diplomatic language. The underlying tensions in NATO are nothing new but without the common enemy of the Soviet Union serving as the glue of the alliance, a decade of post Cold War squabbling has taken its toll.
— Jane’s Defence Weekly.

USA - microwave weapons

High-power microwave (HPM) weapons contained in cruise missiles could be key-weapons against suspected Iraqi stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons. HPM weapons, which generate a powerful electromagnetic pulse that can travel through antennae, plumbing and ventilation shafts to penetrate deeply buried bunkers, can fry the electronics systems and computers necessary to create and store such weapons without releasing the deadly agents into the air. The weapons were first successfully tested in 1999.
— Time magazine.

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