Australia Cruise
Department of State Washington File: U.S. Forces Capture Terrorist Abu Abbas in Baghdad
At a CENTCOM briefing April 16, Army Brigadier General Vincent Brooks said Abbas, captured in southern Baghdad April 14, was the key planner in the hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in October 1985. American Leon Klinghoffer was murdered in the hijacking, Brooks said. An Italian court later tried Abbas in absentia and sentenced him to life in prison. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: U.S., Australia Agree to Strengthen Anti-Terrorism Cooperation
5. The United States and Australia agreed that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the means for their delivery, including ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, posed the most significant threat to global strategic stability. In particular, the United States and Australia agreed that the potential for terrorist groups to gain possession of WMD and missiles underlined the urgency of preventing their proliferation. They agreed to strengthen their efforts in this area, including through increased bilateral coordination, assistance to transshipment states, the development of ad hoc coalitions where appropriate, and the strengthening of both plurilateral export control regimes and relevant multilateral instruments. Both countries agreed that maintaining effective deterrence required offensive and defensive measures, in parallel with effective counter-proliferation measures and nuclear arms reductions. The United States restated its commitment to continued close consu ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Defense Official Says Coalition Has Made "Considerable Progress"
General McChrystal said more than 1,000 coalition air sorties were flown March 21. Over 400 Tomahawk missiles were launched from U.S. and British naval vessels, he said. And about 100 air-launched cruise missiles were also fired, he added. He said the Ansar al-Islam terrorist facility located in the northern, Kurdish part of Iraq was attacked with Tomahawk cruise missiles. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Congressional Report, February 2: Weapons Reduction Program
-- 93 long-range nuclear-capable air-launched cruise missiles that were carried by Bear and Blackjack bombers; ... -- 18 Backfire bombers in Ukraine, each capable of carrying three nuclear air-launched cruise missiles; ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: U.S. Works to Stop Proliferation of Unmanned Air Vehicles
UAVs have been in military service since at least the use of the V-1 cruise missile and target drones in World War II. Since then, their use has grown dramatically in land-attack (in ground-, sea-, and air-launched modes), reconnaissance, as targets, and even in some civilian applications such as pipeline inspection and crop-dusting. The U.S. military is at the cutting edge, with nuclear-armed cruise missiles in the inventory for over 20 years, and extensive use of conventionally armed cruise missiles and of reconnaissance UAVs in the Gulf War and most of our subsequent military engagements. As UAVs become more capable (as in the recent use of armed UAVs in Afghanistan), they are taking on more missions that have been exclusively the province of manned aircraft; this is expected to grow in the future, with the further development of so called Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs). ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: International Scientists Study Traveling Cloud of Saharan Dust
The trans-Atlantic research cruise-called AEROSE 2004, or AERosol Ocean Science Expedition-began on February 29, leaving Bridgetown, Barbados, and will wrap up March 26 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A key goal of the cruise, organizers said, is gathering measurements to better understand the effects the traveling Saharan dust aerosols have on the atmosphere and Atlantic Ocean. ... "Water, climate, weather and other key issues know no geographic boundaries," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "This cruise is one example of the continuing efforts by NOAA and its partners to advance understanding of natural activities and how they interrelate on this planet we share." ... [Read More]
U.S. Department of State - Washington Hyper File
(Iraq/military operations; Special operations forces/activities; Air operations/control of airfields/attacks on Iraqi forces, political assets; Oil assets/refinery captured/ well fires extinguished; Iraqis/reprisals against own citizens; Irregular Iraqi forces/ supply line attacks diminishing; Ba'ath Party/attacks on facilities, personnel; Iraqi car bomb/U.S. soldiers killed; Cruise missiles/some malfunctions over Saudi Arabia; Kuwait/Chinese-origin missile attack; Syrian shipments/warning; International Committee of Red Cross/prisoner visits) (8560) ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Fact Sheet: State Department on 1987 INF Missile Treaty
-- 443 BGM-109 Ground Launched Cruise Missiles. ... -- SSC-X-4 (Ground-Launched Cruise Missile). ... -- BGM-109G Ground-Launched Cruise Missile. ... [Read More]
U.S. Department of State - Washington Hyper File
(Mission objectives, 173rd/airfield in northern Iraq, oil fields/Basra refinery, Iraqi atrocities, humanitarian aid/Umm Qasar, video testimony of torture victim, BBC documentary on 1988 Halabja chemical attacks, disguised soldiers/fake surrenders, air campaign/Republican Guard, 4th Infantry Division, marketplace bombing, air supremacy, Kuwait missile strike, Ranger assault/western Iraq, cruise missiles/Saudi Arabia, supply lines/MREs, missing soldiers, deployment orders, Apache helicopters/"deep attack") (5550) ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Excerpt: U.S. Says Export Controls Need Not Block Technology Transfer
The growing threat to U.S. national security of cruise missile and UAV proliferation is challenging the tools the United States has traditionally used. Multilateral export control regimes have expanded their lists of controlled technologies that include cruise missile and UAV items, but key countries of concern are not members. U.S. export control authorities find it increasingly difficult to limit or track unlisted dual-use items that can be acquired without an export license. Moreover, a gap in U.S. export control authority enables American companies to export certain dual-use items to recipients that are not associated with missile projects or countries listed in the regulations, even if the exporter knows the items might be used to develop cruise missiles or UAVs. American companies have in fact legally exported dual-use items with no U.S. government review to a New Zealand resident who bought the items to build a cruise missile. ... [Read More]
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