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"US missile defence will provoke further militarisation and an arms build-up. Australia will now be part of this flouting of international peace treaties and fuelling an arms race."
Leaflets
'Water and Nuclear Power'
'War Creates Refugees'
'No Money For People's Security'
'We need a Government that tells us the truth!'
'No Money For People's Security'
'Hiroshima Never Again - 09/08/2003'
'Peace Is Union Business - May Day 2006'
'Militarism V Welfare - May Day 2002.pdf'
'Water and Nuclear Power'
'War Creates Refugees'
'No Money For People's Security'
'We need a Government that tells us the truth!'
'No Money For People's Security'
'Hiroshima Never Again - 09/08/2003'
'Peace Is Union Business - May Day 2006'
'Militarism V Welfare - May Day 2002.pdf'
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Missile Defence
Prime Minister Howard has committed Australia to take part in the United States missile defence system. This is a long term project and the signing of the memorandum of understanding commits Australia to the system for the next 25 years tying us even more tightly into the foreign policy of the United States and denying any future Australian government independent decisions on foreign policy and defence issues.
Missile Defence is also an immensely expensive system with ongoing costs. Already Australia is spending six billion dollars to buy three air warfare destroyers to be equipped with the latest US Aegis air-warfare system. This is only an initial phase, and the cost of regularly introducing new equipment and technology until 2020 will be staggering.
Missile Defence is the same principal as late President Reagan's discredited Strategic defence initiative dubbed 'Star Wars'. The aim is to intercept incoming missiles with missiles to destroy them. The system relies on two missiles travelling at extremely high speeds hitting each other in mid air. Of the eight tests conducted be the US Missile Defence Agency since 1999, only five were 'considered' succesful and three failed - and all tests have been 'managed' lacking realistic conditions.
To develop the missile defence the United States has withdrawn from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of 1972, which banned such developments. Space weapons are also part of the missile shield. This will contravene another international treaty banning weapons in space. The US will build a constellation of 12 to 24 orbiting satellites each outfitted with laser weapons with a range of 1,000 to 5,000 kilometres, according to a Department of National Defence report produced in March 2003. The joint military base at Pine Gap in Central Australia is a major satellite communication base and will be drawn further into the US plans to militarise space; the consequences of this will be long-term and far-reaching.
An intercontinental ballistic missile system involves enormous cost, technology and development. Only an affluent country would have the vast resources required; no organisation can afford it. Countries feeling threatened by the new developments would respond. US missile defence will provoke further militarisation and an arms build-up. Australia will now be part of this flouting of international peace treaties and fuelling an arms race.
Prime Minister Howard has committed Australia to take part in the United States missile defence system. This is a long term project and the signing of the memorandum of understanding commits Australia to the system for the next 25 years tying us even more tightly into the foreign policy of the United States and denying any future Australian government independent decisions on foreign policy and defence issues.
Missile Defence is also an immensely expensive system with ongoing costs. Already Australia is spending six billion dollars to buy three air warfare destroyers to be equipped with the latest US Aegis air-warfare system. This is only an initial phase, and the cost of regularly introducing new equipment and technology until 2020 will be staggering.
Missile Defence is the same principal as late President Reagan's discredited Strategic defence initiative dubbed 'Star Wars'. The aim is to intercept incoming missiles with missiles to destroy them. The system relies on two missiles travelling at extremely high speeds hitting each other in mid air. Of the eight tests conducted be the US Missile Defence Agency since 1999, only five were 'considered' succesful and three failed - and all tests have been 'managed' lacking realistic conditions.
To develop the missile defence the United States has withdrawn from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of 1972, which banned such developments. Space weapons are also part of the missile shield. This will contravene another international treaty banning weapons in space. The US will build a constellation of 12 to 24 orbiting satellites each outfitted with laser weapons with a range of 1,000 to 5,000 kilometres, according to a Department of National Defence report produced in March 2003. The joint military base at Pine Gap in Central Australia is a major satellite communication base and will be drawn further into the US plans to militarise space; the consequences of this will be long-term and far-reaching.
An intercontinental ballistic missile system involves enormous cost, technology and development. Only an affluent country would have the vast resources required; no organisation can afford it. Countries feeling threatened by the new developments would respond. US missile defence will provoke further militarisation and an arms build-up. Australia will now be part of this flouting of international peace treaties and fuelling an arms race.