The United States does not have adequate sensors to detect an attack coming over the Arctic and urgently needs to boost its air defense capabilities in the region closest to Russia with additional radars and interceptors, US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) head Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy said during Senate hearing on Thursday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2020) The United States does not have adequate sensors to detect an attack coming over the Arctic and urgently needs to boost its air defense capabilities in the region closest to Russia with additional radars and interceptors, US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) head Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy said during Senate hearing on Thursday.
"We do not," O'Shaughnessy said when asked by Senator Angus King if the NORTHCOM has adequate sensors to spot an attack. "We need a sensing capability. We have a technology today. We just have to deploy it in Alaska."
O'Shaughnessy said the United States, faced with increased Russian military deployment and activity in the Arctic, must bring to Alaska more of the existing types of anti-ballistic missile interceptors and complete the development of the next generation models.
"We have literally holes in a ground right now that we need to fill with capabilities. We need to bring that as fast as possible" O'Shaughnessy said. "We have to augment that with additional ballistic missile capability that we can put in Alaska, whether that be SM-3 IIAs, whether that be potentially a THAAD deployment."
O'Shaughnessy also praised the US Air Force for moving to Alaska more of fifth generation F-35 jets and spoke in favor of increased military exercises in the region.
"We can deploy force anywhere all over the world and we can train this force very quickly. You cannot do it to the Arctic if you are not training, if you don't have the right equipment, if you are not versed in operating in the Arctic."
O'Shaughnessy called Alaska and the Arctic a battle space and an avenue of approach to the United States.
