NATO achieves theatre missile defence capability

January 28, 2011 (MMD Newswire) — Inside an underground facility in Uedem, Germany NATO officials and commanders have come to see a demonstration of the alliance’s new command and control technology. For the first time it will give allies the initial capability to protect deployed forces from missile attacks.

“What the interim capability does is bring together much more modern systems from many more nations, both space, sea and air based and soon to be land based, that will have a much broader capability to defend ourselves from a whole range of threats”, said Maj. Gen. Mark F. Ramsay Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and Intelligence in SHAPE

The breakthrough for NATO’s Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence Programme is that allies from different nations will share tactical information securely and reliably between very different alliance systems. Another advantage is that the technology is mobile. It’s housed but in a truck right next to the facility.

Following the successful demonstration the capability was officially handed over to the military command level. For NATO this marks an important first step in its efforts towards achieving a common missile defence shield as agreed upon in Lisbon.

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