NATO plans Europe-wide missile-defence system

NATO has decided to develop a missile defence capability able to provide full coverage and protection for all alliance European populations, territory and forces against the increasing threats posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles, the heads of state and governments participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Lisbon announced on 20 November.

The scope of NATO's current Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) programme's command, control and communications capabilities is to be expanded beyond the protection of NATO deployed forces to include the protection of NATO European populations, territory and forces.

This decision was taken in light of the perceived level of threat, the likely affordability and technical feasibility and the latest common threat assessments agreed by the alliance. An action plan addressing the steps to implement such a capability is to be drafted by the time of the planned NATO defence ministers' meeting in June 2011.

The current ALTBMD programme is a multiphase project intended to protect NATO-deployed forces against short- and medium-range ballistic missile threats up to a 3,000 km range. The final goal is to deploy a multilayered system comprising lower- and upper-layer defences around 2018. This would include battle-management, communications, command and control (BMC3I), early warning sensors, radars and various interceptors.