Progress Continues Toward NATO Missile Defense System

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

STUTTGART, Germany, May 15, 2012 – The United States will announce at next week’s NATO summit in Chicago that the new missile defense system in Europe has reached interim operational capability, the alliance’s supreme allied commander for Europe said.

“We will announce the interim operational capability of that system, which will begin to protect our European partners from the threat of ballistic missiles,” Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis said during an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service. Stavridis also commands U.S. European Command.

That system -- the first phase of the European Phased Adaptive Approach Missile Defense System that President Barack Obama proposed in 2009 -- will integrate with the NATO command-and-control system to begin standing up the NATO missile defense system, he said.

The first phase, now completed, relies on existing missile defense systems to address short- and medium-range ballistic missile threats. Upcoming phases will introduce increasingly capable interceptors and missile defense command-and-control system upgrades.

Phase 1 consists of Aegis ships with ballistic missile defense capabilities and a command-and-control system in Ramstein, Germany.

USS Monterey, followed shortly by USS The Sullivans, last year became the first ships to rotate to the Mediterranean Sea in support of the initiative. Stavridis told Congress in March he considers these ships “the backbone of missile defense” with the added benefit of being able to support anti-submarine, anti-air and anti-surface operations.

Also as part of Phase 1, Turkey agreed to host a land-based early warning radar system in Kurecik, in the southeastern Malatya province. That, in turn, will be combined with the NATO command-and-control system, Stavridis said.

“Those three elements come together to provide us with an initial capability to provide some level of defense of Europe against a threat emanating from the Middle East,” Navy Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, Eucom’s deputy director for plans, policy and strategy, told American Forces Press Service. “That was our most significant ballistic missile defense achievement in 2011.”

Meanwhile, “we are working hard on the Phase 2, 3 and 4 elements” of the plan, Stavridis told the Senate and House armed services committees in March. That includes negotiating agreements with partner countries, particularly Romania and Poland, regarding stationing of the Aegis ballistic missile defense system that will extend the missile shield during Phase 2 of the plan.

Montgomery also reported progress toward developing an AEGIS Ashore land-based interceptor system in Deveselu, Romania, to be completed by 2015. This is a critical element of the Phase 2 rollout, which Romania agreed late last year to host.

Meanwhile, Eucom is working closely with the Polish defense ministry to implement the U.S.-Poland ballistic missile defense agreement in support of important Phase 3 capabilities, Stavridis reported.

“We’ll upgrade the missiles at that point, and we’ll upgrade the command-and-control” with more and increasingly sophisticated overhead sensors, he told Congress. “And then the next step will be 2018, when we’ll add another set of ground interceptors in Poland.”

The final phase of the plan, slated for completion by 2020, will deploy more advanced interceptors designed to counter not only medium and intermediate range missiles, but also potential future intercontinental ballistic missile threats to the United States from the Middle East.

“It is a progression,” Stavridis said of the system. “It is adaptive to the threat, in that we can plug in at any step along the way to continue to improve it, to pace the threat that we see.”

In announcing the missile defense plan three years ago, Obama promised “stronger, smarter and swifter defenses of American forces and America’s allies.”

“It is more comprehensive than the previous program,” he said of the plan. “It deploys capabilities that are proven and cost effective. And it sustains and builds upon our commitment to protect the U.S. homeland against long-range ballistic missile threats, and it ensures and enhances the protection of all our NATO allies.”

NATO endorsed the concept at its November 2010 summit in Lisbon, Portugal, agreeing to expand its missile defense command, control and communications capabilities to protect Europe and encouraging allies to follow the U.S. lead in making voluntary national contributions to the effort.

Based on agreements at the Lisbon summit, Eucom fielded workstations throughout its headquarters and service component headquarters that use a NATO-compatible network able to support the NATO ballistic missile defense mission, officials explained.

The command plans to tie U.S. ships to that network, a step toward increasingly integrated theater sensors, shooters and platforms.

In addition, the Air Force is establishing a joint, combined European Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center in Eisiedlerhof, Germany. Its mission, Stavridis told Congress, will be to educate, develop and refine U.S., partner and allied missile defense capabilities and expertise.

With growing support within NATO to support the mission, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and France are exploring ways to complement it, Stavridis told Congress. He noted that the Dutch are buying ships capable of plugging into the ballistic missile defense architecture, and that all NATO nations now contribute command and control capabilities.

Getting additional commitments for the system is expected to be an agenda topic at next week’s NATO summit. Stavridis told Congress in March he’ll continue to press the Europeans to shoulder a growing role in missile defense.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is expected to join in that effort, with the goal of making the system as comprehensive as possible.

“Step by step, NATO’s territorial missile defense is becoming a reality,” he reported in October just before a NATO defense ministers conference in Brussels.

Dempsey: DOD to Stay Engaged, Vigilant in Middle East

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT  – It’s too soon to calculate how the end of U.S. Forces Iraq will affect the region’s military dynamics, but the U.S. focus on the Middle East and its partner countries there is unwavering, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey is traveling with a USO holiday tour and taking time to meet with his counterparts and officials in several countries, including Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Right now I think there are concerns, maybe some that would rise to a level of skepticism about the future [in the region],” he told reporters who are traveling with him.

“But I think that’s why our presence here is so important,” the chairman said, “to help ease those concerns and reduce that skepticism.”

Dempsey added, “We’ve got to make sure we maintain our vigilance, our deterrence and our engagement in the Middle East.”

The focus for the Defense Department in 21 countries that make up the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility include Afghanistan, Iran and its nuclear aspirations, and regional instability associated with the Arab Spring, the revolutionary wave of protests and violence that erupted Dec. 18, 2010.

The unrest most recently includes a nationwide revolt in Syria, with protesters demanding the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad and the government responding with deadly violence, which according to the United Nations this week has so far taken nearly 5,000 lives.

“We're trying to think ahead about what it will mean to the people when the regime in Syria changes, as we think it will,” Dempsey said.

Related to that, he added, “is the enduring relationship with Turkey and their role. They’re a [U.S. European Command] nation from our perspective but they currently have a positive influence in that part of the Arab world.”

Iran is another critical defense challenge in the region, the chairman said.

“Iran continues to be provocative both in terms of its nuclear aspirations but also the activities of the [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps] Quds Force,” which is said to responsible for operations outside Iran, Dempsey said.

The most recent manifestation of such provocation, he added, was a plot uncovered in October that involved Iranian officials and Iranian-American used car salesman Mansour J. Arbabsiar’s botched attempt to hire assassins to kill Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States.

For DOD, the chairman said, the challenge is “Iran’s hegemonic aspirations and how we can build a consensus within the region and globally that this is unacceptable, and then [determine] what to do about it.”

The U.S. presence in the Middle East is an especially important buffer to the challenge with Iran, Dempsey said, adding, “I do believe that what Iran needs to see in this region is a more coherent Arab world, so their aspirations are tempered.”

But of all the challenges in the region, Afghanistan is a primary focus.

“That’s No. 1 because we have kids in harm’s way,” Dempsey said. “That’s always going to be job No. 1.”

The department is working to review its strategy in Afghanistan with Centcom Commander Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force-Afghanistan and U.S. Forces Afghanistan, and others, the chairman added.

“We know the surge [of combat troops to Afghanistan] will be off-ramped in September 2012,” he said. “That’s when we’re back to the 68,000 [troops] that was kind of the standard at the start.

“The question we’re grappling with is, given the Lisbon objectives, how do we get from September 2012 to December 2014?”

In November 2010 in Lisbon, Portugal, NATO leaders agreed to halt combat operations by international troops in Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon attended the summit of leaders who crafted a transition strategy directing coalition troops to begin this year turning over security responsibility for the nation’s provinces to Afghan security forces.

“What we aspire to over time is to approach the entire issue of engagement differently,” Dempsey said, adding that there are opportunities for the U.S. military services in smaller engagements.

“Most countries don’t want us to be flopping a brigade combat team in and among their population, so I think we have to find a way to think that through too,” the chairman said.

“It’s really about what we have learned in the last 10 years [of war], and how to establish new relationships not only in [the Middle East], but worldwide.”

Panetta to Reinforce Strong U.S.-Turkey Partnership

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

ANKARA, Turkey, Dec. 15, 2011 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta arrived here today to reinforce the United States’ strong relationship with a critical security partner within the region and NATO.

Panetta traveled here after ceremonies in Iraq marking the end of the U.S. Forces Iraq mission, with stops also in Afghanistan and Djibouti.

In Ankara, the secretary will meet with President Abdullah Gul and Turkish defense leaders to thank them for their country’s leadership during a period of transition and change within the region.

“Turkey represents a key ally in the Middle East,” Panetta told reporters traveling with him.

In addition to being a strong NATO ally, Turkey is “extremely important to the ability to try to keep what is happening in the Middle East headed in the right direction,” he said.

“They can have an influence on what happens in Egypt, what happens in Iraq, what happens in Iran, what happens in Syria,” the secretary said.

Panetta noted that Turkey has taken a strong position in condemning Syria’s violent crackdown on protestors and calling for President Bashar Assad to step down.

“Turkey is coming on very strong in recent weeks in full alignment with our efforts and those of our key Arab and European partners,” a senior defense official traveling with Panetta told reporters.

The secretary also said he will commend Turkey’s decision to host the forward-based radar for the NATO missile defense system.

Panetta also is expected to thank the Turks for their contributions to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

Also during the visit, the secretary is expected to express the United States’ solidarity in its fight against the PKK terrorists and ways to continue that support as U.S. forces complete their drawdown in Iraq, the official said.

Echoing a theme he raised earlier this month, the secretary is likely to encourage Turkey to strengthen and, where necessary, build relations with key neighbors, including Israel, Armenia and Cyprus, the official said.

U.S. Aid Flows for Turkey Earthquake Relief

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2011 – Pentagon-provided aid to Turkey continues to flow, following two recent earthquakes that shook that country’s eastern region, a senior Defense Department official said today.

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters that 110 winterized tents have been shipped in response to the Turkish government’s request for assistance.

Blankets, cots, sleeping bags, hygiene kits and other relief supplies were dispatched to Turkey after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Oct. 23, Little said. A magnitude 5.7 tremor struck the area Nov. 9.

NSWC Port Hueneme Hosts VLS Forum, Strengthens Allied Relations

From Naval Sea Systems Command

PORT HUENEME, Calif (NNS) -- Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Port Hueneme hosted an international forum on the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) with nine allied nations, May 18-20.

During the event, NSWC Port Hueneme provided allied VLS users with access to the latest technology in logistics and in-service engineering.

"This event allowed users to discuss issues, exchange knowledge, skills, and lessons learned with system experts at one location," said Stan Wypyszynski, NSWC Port Hueneme VLS FMS project office manager. "It also enables a more efficient and effective way to control total ownership costs and maintain the VLS at the highest level of capability."

The annual forum supports the U.S. Navy's maritime strategy by fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships with international partners. This is the fourteenth year international VLS system users have participated. NSWC Port Hueneme has hosted similar events for 20 years, and created a best practice for other programs to follow.

Foreign navy participants included Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Germany, Canada, Turkey, Japan, Netherlands and Spain.

"This is the most important conference for Vertical Launching Systems," said Gunnar Luckas from the German navy.

"This conference is very useful for us to exchange experiences, exchange knowledge, and improve our performance," said Cmdr. Manuel Golmoyo of Spain.

"There are so many systems to learn," said Cmdr. Shinya Akao, Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force technical liaison officer. "We are working on two new systems, and definitely need to keep in touch with this group."

In addition to the hosting warfare center, other Navy participants included Program Executive Office, Integrated Warfare Systems' Surface Ship Weapons Launchers and International Programs Offices; Surface Combat Systems Center; NSWC Dahlgren; NSWC Carderock; NSWC Indian Head, Detachment Earle Weapons Systems, N.J.; NSWC Corona; SEA21's International Fleet Support Program Office; and the Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity.

The warfare centers are the Navy's principal research, development, test and evaluation assessment activity for surface ship and submarine systems and subsystems. In addition, the warfare centers provide depot maintenance and in-service engineering support to ensure the systems fielded today perform consistently and reliably in the future.

NSWC Port Hueneme, a division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command, integrates, tests, evaluates and provides life-cycle engineering and logistics support for surface warfare systems.

NAVSEA Participating in Bold Monarch 2011

From Naval Sea Systems Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is participating in Bold Monarch 2011, a NATO submarine rescue exercise, through June 10.

The exercise, held every three years, began May 30, off the coast of Spain near Cartagena.

The United States Navy's contribution to this year's Bold Monarch is the Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System's (SRDRS) Pressurized Rescue Module (PRM) Falcon, and the associated topside equipment and systems.

"Preparing for Bold Monarch 2011 has been a multi-month long effort that involved people from my office, NAVSEA's Naval Systems Engineering Directorate, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and the Deep Submergence Unit," said Capt. Gary Dunlap, Advanced Undersea Systems Program Office program manager.

One of the most important efforts during the exercise will be certifying the Russian Federation Navy's Kilo-Class submarine Alrosa (B-781).

"In April, NATO asked NAVSEA to send a team to Sevastopol, Ukraine, to conduct a rescue seat certification on the Russian Federation Navy's submarine Alrosa," said Dunlap. "This marks the first time that we have certified Falcon to mate to, and rescue submariners from, a Russian submarine and the first time that a Russian submarine will take part in a NATO exercise."

Bold Monarch 2011 brings together submarines and rescue capabilities from around the globe. During the exercise, submarines from Russia, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey, will bottom themselves on the ocean floor to allow rescue assets from the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia, Sweden, France, Greece, the Netherlands, and Norway, to conduct rescue operations.

"With the addition of the Russian Navy to Bold Monarch, we are taking a great step in making submarine rescue truly international," said Capt. David Duryea, deputy commander, Undersea Warfare.

The SRDRS provides one of the most responsive and capable systems in the world for submarine rescue. Based at the Deep Submergence Unit located at the Naval Air Station in San Diego, Calif., the system is designed to be rapidly deployable and able to mate with a disabled submarine anywhere in the world in 72 hours.

The SRDRS consists of the Atmospheric Dive Suit 2000 (ADS2000) – manned, one-atmosphere dive suit that is used to inspect bottomed submarines and clear away debris that could cover an escape hatch, associated topside equipment and systems, and the PRM Falcon. Falcon is a tethered, remotely-operated submersible that is launched and controlled from the deck of a surface ship and transfers up to 16 submariners from a disabled submarine per dive.

This Day in Naval History - March 22

From the Navy News Service

1820 - Commodore Stephen Decatur dies after a duel with Capt. James Barron.

1915 - "Naval aviator" replaces "Navy air pilot" for officers qualified as aviators.

1929 - Navy ships protect Americans and their property during a Mexican revolution.

1946 - USS Missouri (BB 63) departs the United States to return the body of a deceased Turkish ambassador to Turkey for burial. Missouri arrived in Istanbul April 5.

Enterprise Chorus Reaches out with International Language of Music

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Chase, USS Enterprise Public Affairs

USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS) -- The USS Enterprise (CVN 65) chorus is learning new songs as the crew completes its second day of operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR), Feb. 17.

Enterprise's 50–Sailor chorus conducted its first public performance, Feb. 8, and opened with their rendition of the Turkish national anthem before hundreds of Sailors, Turkish dignitaries and locals, as part of a hangar bay reception to kick off a port visit in Marmaris, Turkey.

"The chorus performed flawlessly," said Command Master Chief (AW/SW) Keith Oxley. "We could not be more proud of all of them."

The chorus director, Lt. Jonathan Pohnel, said the chorus exists to inspire the Sailors of Enterprise and act as a catalyst for international friendship between the United States and its allies. He said it is not part of the job to bring Turkish nationals to tears in gratitude for quality of the performance, but it is a benefit.

"It's not only to inspire our Sailors, but to inspire unity with other nations," Pohnel said. "You can use music to do that. Music is an international language, and we want other nations to know we care enough to learn their music," he said. "We may not be able to learn Turkish conversationally before a port visit, but we can learn their songs, and I think that goes straight to the heart."

Pohnel said he was a member of the United States Marine Corps Band before becoming a naval officer. While performing for foreign guests is a goal, Pohnel said he put together the chorus to perform at ceremonies and events for the ship itself.

The music will be a mixture of 'sea shanties', classical, sacred, and patriotic songs. Pohnel said he wants Enterprise Sailors to feel as strongly when they hear the chorus sing the national anthem as the Turkish guests did when they heard theirs. He said he wants the music to bring "goose bumps" to the back of listeners' necks.

The ship's chorus is less than a month old. Auditions were performed Jan. 22, and judged by Pohnel, who holds a degree in music. The chorus practices once a week in harmony and pronunciation, often breaking words down phonetically, especially foreign words. Choral members are also expected to take recordings of the songs with them for personal practice.

"It's cool to have that out-of-rate experience, to do what I used to do and sing," said Information Systems Technician Seaman Shauna Matheny, who has been singing since she was 11 and has a background in musicals and opera performance.

Matheny is also a member of a special, 12-member ensemble within the choir, put together to provide chamber music for smaller events such as formal dinners.

While the chorus is a voluntary act, it could lead to larger possibilities for those in the choir. Within the Navy's music community, there are numerous opportunities for skilled vocalists including "Music for Recruiting," which gives Navy vocalists the chance to recruit new Navy musicians.

For anyone interested in joining the chorus, Lt. Pohnel is still accepting auditions. While the process is rigorous and much is expected of its members, existing members say it's rewarding.

"I think the chorus lets people know there are opportunities on the ship outside of your job," said Information Systems Technician Seaman Skyler Mullis. "We are still Sailors, but we get to enjoy our time while we get to show what we do to different people around the world."

"This is not just something for people to put on their evaluation," said Pohnel. "This helps people remember that they are serving on Enterprise, that they are serving the United States of America, and the music reminds us of our of mission."

Enterprise and Carrier Air Wing 1 are in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility on a routine deployment to conduct maritime security operations and to provide support to operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.

For news regarding Enterprise Strike Group's deployment, log onto www.navy.mil/local/cvn65, or visit the USS Enterprise Facebook page at www.facebook.com/USS.Enterprise.CVN.65.

For more news from USS Enterprise (CVN 65), visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn65/.

U.S-Turkish Alliance in Good Shape, Gates Says

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2010 – The U.S.-Turkey alliance is built on fundamental common interests, and the defense partnership between the two nations is as close as it has ever been, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.

Gates was the keynote speaker at the American Turkish Council Convention at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The United States and Turkey are allies that have fought together in Korea, Kosovo and Kabul, and remain allies even when they disagree, he said.

“Even as our views and approaches on some issues may differ, we are allies, we share fundamental interests in the region, and our goals remain the same: A respect for sovereignty and rule of law; economic growth and development; and enduring stability and security,” Gates said.

Turkey is a stalwart NATO ally and has 1,700 troops in Afghanistan. Gates thanked Turkey for leading the International Security Assistance Force in the past and for extending its command of the Kabul Regional Command for another year. Gates also complimented Turkey for its engagement with Iraq. He said Turkish leaders regularly work with Iraqis “to reinforce that nation’s emerging democracy, encouraging national reconciliation initiatives and working to rebuild defense and security ties with the Iraqi Security Forces.”

The secretary reaffirmed the U.S. pledge to confront the PKK -– a Kurdish terrorist group that has targeted Turkey, as well as its officials and military.

“In response to the rise in PKK terrorist attacks against Turkish military forces and civilians over the past year, the U.S. has increased its efforts to crack down on PKK criminal enterprises, enhanced its intelligence support, and reached out to our European allies to encourage them to freeze PKK assets in Europe,” he said.

Gates also touched upon the need for NATO reform, and urged all NATO nations to support the new strategic concept that heads of state will discuss and vote on at next month’s Lisbon Summit in Portugal.

The threats have changed over the years, Gates said, and NATO must change too. “Reflecting this strategic reality, NATO is now pursuing new missions far from its original geographic boundaries –- whether in the hills of the Hindu Kush or off the coast of Somalia,” the secretary said.

NATO is changing operationally, Gates said. However, like the Defense Department, he added, the alliance requires structural reform.

“The alliance has long had too many committees, too many headquarters and too much bureaucracy overseeing too few deployable and properly resourced military capabilities,” he said. “To some degree, the institutional reforms being pursued at NATO reflect many of the changes underway in our own Department of Defense -– all for the purpose of reducing overhead and shifting more resources to our fighting forces.”

Gates also wants the NATO allies to agree to take up the phased adaptive approach to missile defense. Rogue states, such as Iran, can launch missiles against NATO allies, he said.

“Two-and-a-half years ago in Bucharest, NATO’s heads of state and government recognized the need for an alliance-wide response to the threat of ballistic missiles in the hands of those who might seek to intimidate or harm NATO,” he said. “We resolved then to develop options that could extend coverage to all European allied territory and populations, a resolution echoed at subsequent high-level meetings.”

The phased adaptive approach, Gates said, offers a territorial missile defense system based on proven technologies that can be adapted to meet future dangers and protect a steadily increasing swath of NATO territory.

“As the threat from ballistic missiles grows, so will the scope and effectiveness of NATO’s defenses against them,” he said. “Our object is the fullest-possible coverage of NATO allies and, over time, to provide coverage for all of NATO.”

The first phase becomes operational next year, Gates said, with sea-based SM-3 interceptor missiles deployed to areas where the threat is greatest. The second phase, due in 2015, involves placing upgraded, ground-based SM-3s in Romania as well as at sea.

“Phases three and four will deploy even more advanced interceptors, including a second land-based interceptor site in Poland,” he said. “Overall, this approach provides the alliance with a great deal of flexibility to protect against the range of threats posed by ballistic missiles, and to adapt as new threats develop and old ones recede.”

Gates said he wants to keep the U.S.-Turkish relationship on track.

“The United States and Turkey have wisely remembered our friendship during times of agreement and disagreement, and it is incumbent for us to continue to do so,” he said. “There is too much at stake for us not to do so –- for our prosperity, for our security, and for the credibility of our alliance.”

Today in the Department of Defense, Monday, October 18, 2010

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates delivers remarks at the American-Turkish Council's 29th Annual Conference on U.S. -Turkish Relations at 12:30 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.  For more information email atc@the-atc.org .

Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn has no public or media events on his schedule.

Turkey Gave 'Ample Notification' of PKK Strikes, Pentagon Spokesman Says

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 19, 2007 - The Turkish government provided "ample notification" of plans to conduct air strikes against Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq over the weekend, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today. Morrell disputed press reports that the United States had been left in the dark as the Turkish air force attacked Kurdistan Workers' Party – known as "PKK" -- positions Dec. 16, insisting that the notification process worked smoothly.

The Turks communicated their plans through the Ankara Coordination Center, which was set up this summer to promote intelligence-sharing between the two countries, he explained.

The United States shares with the Turks intelligence regarding the PKK, "a group that we -- as they and the Iraqis, I should point out -- regard as terrorists," Morrell said. "So our stated goal is to share intelligence about PKK holdouts and operations."

Morrell declined to say if the United States provided the intelligence that led to the weekend attacks.

He emphasized ongoing efforts to improve coordination between the two countries, citing top-level discussions between President Bush and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Nov. 5. Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, followed up on these talks later that month, Morrell said.

But the bottom line, Morrell emphasized, is that "Turkey is a sovereign nation" and has a right to act in self-defense against the PKK. "So they don't have to seek our permission," he said. "We have a cooperative relationship with this old and close ally. ... There is coordination, there is notification, but there is not permission sought. And as far as this building is concerned, the coordination that took place was adequate."

Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino refused to condemn a Turkish ground incursion into Iraq following the air strikes.

"We are coordinating with the Turkish and Iraqi authorities in the area," she told White House reporters today. The PKK is a threat to Turkey, to Iraq, and to the United States, she said, "so we continue to share information, share intelligence" regarding the group's activities.

"The Turks have moved forward with our coordination and in communication with the Iraqis in order to eradicate that threat," Perino said.

Senior Official: Diplomacy Best Approach to Turkey-Iraq Tensions

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 16, 2007 - Turkey is a strong NATO ally and partner in the war on terror, and the best way to handle its conflicts with neighboring Iraq over Kurdish rebels is diplomatically, a senior Joint Staff official told Pentagon reporters today. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is conducting "prudent planning" to evaluate how it would modify its operations in the event Turkey moves forward militarily and cuts off U.S. supply routes, said Army Lt. Gen Carter F. Ham, the Joint Staff's director of operations.

Ham's comments came a day after the Turkish government asked its parliament for authority to conduct military raids across the border into northern Iraq. The vote is expected tomorrow.

If approved, the one-year authorization would permit Turkey's military to move into the Kurdish region of Iraq to go after members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party who have been launching attacks into Turkey. Known as the PKK, the group wants an autonomous Kurdish region in eastern Turkey.

"This is obviously a very sensitive matter right now and largely a diplomatic effort," Ham said. He noted that Iraqi Vice President Tariq Al-Hashimi is in Turkey today to discuss possible diplomatic solutions.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said in a statement released yesterday that Iraq shares Turkey's commitment to stopping the PKK attacks and will strive to work with Turkey to resolve the crisis. Maliki emphasized, however, that his government "will never accept a military solution to the differences between Turkey and Iraq."

Ham noted today that Iraq is a sovereign nation "and obviously would take their sovereignty and defense of their territory quite seriously."

An attack by Turkey would put the United States in a difficult position. The United States and NATO are committed to each member country's mutual defense, although Ham said he was unsure if the United States has a treaty obligation to help Turkey stop the PKK incursions.

Ham called Turkey "a highly valued NATO ally" and noted that the U.S. and Turkish militaries share "a longstanding and very close and professional relationship."

However, the United States also is committed to Iraq's sovereignty and its right to protect itself. While emphasizing that Iraq is a sovereign nation with primary responsibility for providing its own security, he said the United States would "want to assist them as best we can."

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has designated the PKK a terrorist organization.

Further complicating the issue is the fact that Turkey serves as a transit route for support for U.S. military operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In the event that Turkey launched an attack into Iraq, that access could be curtailed or cut.

Ham said the Defense Department is "looking at a broad range of options" it could pursue if that happened. "We are now addressing how we would modify our operations should the government of Turkey choose to change the access that we currently enjoy either by ground or air," he said. "And that is prudent military planning that you would expect us to do."

While expressing confidence the United States could continue supporting its military operations in Southwest Asia, albeit more expensively and more logistically challenging, Ham said he's hopeful it won't be necessary. "We would prefer to maintain the access that we have," he said.

Should diplomacy between Iraq and Turkey fail, the United States "will have to assess the situation," he said.

But for now, he expressed hope in a diplomatic breakthrough. "This is primarily and necessarily an opportunity to find a diplomatic solution," he said. "We think that is obviously the best way to approach this, diplomatically, rather than militarily."

U.S.-Turkey Relationship Vital to National Security, Gates Says

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

March 27, 2007 – The U.S. relationship with Turkey is "under valued and under appreciated" and the country's geographical position is vitally important to security challenges facing the U.S., Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today told the American-Turkish Council. Gates spoke to about 500 attendees at a D.C. luncheon during the council's annual conference. The ATC is a business association that promotes commercial, defense, technology and cultural relations between the two countries.

In the 20-minute speech, the defense secretary acknowledged that U.S.-Turkey relations have had struggles in recent years, but added, "Our military, economic, political and personal ties remain strong."

He heralded Turkey's $175 million role in the Joint Strike Fighter program. The country has agreed to buy 100 of the F-35 Lightning II supersonic stealth fighters in development.

Gates also commended the country for allowing 16 U.S. Navy ships to make port calls there in 2006.

In support of the war on terror, Turkey has commanded two rotations of NATO's International Security Assistance Force and a provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan, and has provided the U.S. access to Iraq through an air base in Turkey. Without that access, Gates said, operations in Iraq would be "exceedingly more difficult and vastly more expensive."

Still, all relationships need work to remain strong, the secretary said.

"The two nations should oppose measures and rhetoric that needlessly and destructively antagonize each other. That includes symbolic resolutions by the United States Congress as well as the type of anti-American and extremist rhetoric that sometimes finds a home in Turkey's political discourse," Gates said.

Gates conceded that the war in Iraq is a point of contention for Turkey, as well as many of America's allies. Adding to the tension is fighting on the Turkey-Iraq border against fighters for the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as PKK.

"The situation on Turkey's border with Iraq's Kurdish region is of particular concern," Gates said. "Every Turkey citizen killed by the PKK is a setback for success in Iraq and a setback in our relationship with Turkey."

Gates said he has tapped former NATO supreme allied commander in Europe Air Force Gen. Joseph W. Ralston as special envoy for countering the PKK, but acknowledged, "We know more needs to be done."

Regarding the situation in Iraq, Army Gen. David Petraeus, the new Multinational Force Iraq commander, is applying "sound counterinsurgency principles" that are aimed at giving the newly established Iraqi government breathing room, Gates said. Coalition forces are securing and holding neighborhoods, and the Iraqi government has committed the forces need to secure its capitol, he added.

He said, though, that Iraq's disposition will not be finally determined by military action, but by the political influence of its neighbors in the region.

"Whatever disagreements we might have over how we got to this point in Iraq, the consequences of a failed state in Iraq, of chaos there, will adversely affect every member of the Atlantic alliance and none more so than Turkey," he said.

"Iraq's neighbors will need to play a constructive role going forward even if they haven't done so in the past -- especially in encouraging political reconciliation and a reduction in violence within Iraq. This is certainly the case with Syria and Iran. They have not been helpful," Gates said.

He called recent talks in Baghdad "a good start," but said that the U.S. is "open to higher level exchanges."

Finally, Gates called Iraq's future an interest and a responsibility "that we will not abandon."

"Abandoning Iraq and leaving regional chaos in the wake clearly would be an offense to our interests as well as our values and a set back for the cause of freedom as well as the goal of stability," Gates said.

"In this strategic environment we have to be willing to spend the resources, absorb the costs, take the risks and meet the commitments we make to one another. It means having the creditability, ingenuity and skill to dissuade and divide our potential adversaries while reassuring and uniting our friends."

Gates closed his remarks with the Turkish proverb, "A wise man remembers his friends at all times, a fool only when he has need of them."

"The United States and Turkey have wisely remembered our friendship at all times," he said.

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Turkey Signs On for Next Phase of Joint Strike Fighter

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 26, 2007 – Turkey signed on for the next phase of the Joint Strike Fighter in a ceremony here yesterday, pledging $175 million toward the aircraft's production. Turkey also promised to buy 100 of the conventional-take-off-and-landing version of the aircraft, being developed by the Navy, Air Force, Marines and allies.

In a Pentagon E-wing room, flanked by about 30 Turkish and U.S. dignitaries and program officers, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England met with Turkey's National Defense Minister Mehmet Vecdi Gonul and Undersecretary for Defense Industries Murad Bayar for the signing of the memorandum of understanding that will take Turkey into the production, sustainment and follow-on development phase of the Joint Strike Fighter program.

Gonul also met with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today at the Pentagon.

Before yesterday's signing, England said he has spent several years cultivating U.S. relations with Turkey and called the Turkish officials present "dear, close friends."

"Our country is privileged to have such a strong and dynamic ally in Turkey," England said. "Together our two nations are standing together in the name of freedom."

By partnering in this program, the two countries are "building a safe and more secure world for our children and grandchildren," England said.

Gonul called the Joint Strike Fighter program "the way forward" for his country and its air force.

"Today is an important day and big milestone for the future of the Turkish air force," Gonul said. "The Turkish government is extremely proud to be a part of the Joint Strike Fighter program."

Bayar said the new F-35 Lightning II will replace Turkey's aging F-16 fighters and will be the "backbone for the Turkish air force."

The deal could cost Turkey more than $10 billion over 20 years, the largest defense project in Turkish history. Turkey has the lowest per capita income of any of the Joint Strike Fighter partners, Gonul said.

The agreement provides a framework for future program efforts in production and beyond and will extend cooperation beyond the current development and demonstration agreement between the United States and the other eight Joint Strike Fighter partner nations -- the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Australia. Turkey joined the system development and demonstration phase in 2002.

All but Italy, Norway and Denmark have signed on to the next phase of the production. DoD officials met with officials from those countries this week, and all are on board, just working out the details, said Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Kenneth Krieg. Those countries are expected to sign the memorandum by the end of February.

The Joint Strike Fighter is the largest ever DoD acquisition program. The F-35 Lightning II is a supersonic, multi-role, stealth fighter designed to replace a wide range of existing aircraft. Three versions of the aircraft will be built: a conventional-takeoff-and-landing variant, an aircraft-carrier version and a short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing version. Initial plans call for building 2,400 of the aircraft at a cost of about $200 billion.

The F-35 Lightning II is in the flight test mode and has flown two successful test flights, Dec. 15 and Jan. 8, from Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth, Texas, facility.

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