'We believe that missile defence is something we should be cooperating in with the Russians because we share external threats,' Obama told reporters after meeting with Poland's President Bronislaw Komorowski, as he wrapped up a European tour.
'But we think it is very important that NATO remains in charge of NATO defence capabilities. That's one of the central principles of NATO,' he underlined.
NATO members in the ex-communist bloc are wary of moves to bring Russia on board in an anti-missile system.
Kremlin talk of a 'sectoral approach' -- jargon for different big players having their zones of responsibility -- chills some nations formerly under Moscow's thumb."
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NATO Missile Defense for Europe
NATO has agreed to provide ballistic missile defense or BMD for all of Europe. This NATO BMD will protect NATO (European and American) military forces in Europe. It will also – for the very first time – protect the civilian population throughout Europe from ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction launched from the Middle East.
Much of this NATO missile defense for Europe – known as the European Phased Adaptive Approach – will actually be provided by the United States armed forces. This will include seaborne AEGIS missile defense on board US Navy ships in the Mediterranean, as well as land based radars and interceptor missiles.
This e-book describes how NATO missile defense for Europe will be organized and implemented.
