Join Star Wars Jr, says navy (Australia)

[legin]

AUSTRALIA should join the US global missile shield to provide a protective umbrella for forces increasingly deployed to trouble spots in the Pacific and Asia, a navy report claims.

The report, by the Royal Australian Navy Seapower Centre, said "the Government would be abrogating its responsibility to ADF soldiers, sailors and airmen if it espoused a new strategic role for them without providing tools to carry it out".

Author, RAN Commander Tom Mueller, said Australia should fit three air warfare destroyers, due to be delivered in 2006, with an anti-ballistic missile capacity to provide cover for deployed forces.

The ships would be fitted with missiles and linked to US and allied radar systems to pick up and destroy incoming ballistic missiles.

The report, which backs the plan revealed in The Weekend Australian on Saturday for Australia to join the US missile defence program, said Canberra could not hope to follow Washington in setting up a missile shield over the mainland because it would be too expensive.

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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,6760225%255E2702,00.html

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. Howard must like being a Bush Bitch!

;-)