Indonesia condems Australia's missile plan, warns of arms race
Indonesia condems Australia's missile plan, warns of arms race
Agencies, Jakarta/Sydney
Indonesia has warned Australia that it could be starting an arms
race in the Asia-Pacific region, following the latter's plan to
buy a sophisticated U.S. anti-missile defense system.
"It will not contribute to regional security, but instead
destabilize the (Asia-Pacific) region," Indonesian foreign
ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa told The Jakarta Post on
Tuesday.
He was commenting on talks between officials of the U.S.
Missile Defense Agency and Australian officials on specific
projects in the ultra high-tech U.S. missile shield system dubbed
"Son of Star Wars" in which Australia has announced it will
participate.
As part of its A$15.8 billion (US$10.3 billion) defense
budget, the Australian federal government intends to buy three
air warfare destroyers for its navy. Defense minister Robert Hill
said they may be armed with the SM3 missiles capable of shooting
down long-range ballistic missiles.
Marty said the Indonesian government had raised its concern of
such a plan when Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer
visited Indonesia in December.
"But (the plan to purchase military equipment) is the
sovereign right of Australia," Marty said.
Marty said the neighboring country should not deem security
affairs as its exclusive policy.
"It should be discussed among countries in the region through
the Asian regional forum," Marty recommended.
In his explanation last December, Downer said the program was
not an offensive posture, and virtually irrelevant to the
Southeast Asia region, as none of the countries in the region
possessed ballistic missiles. He also assured Asians that the
program would not be a threat to any countries in the region.
Australian defense minister Hill told ABC radio on Tuesday
that among the specific projects being negotiated with the U.S.
was the SM3 missile.
"It's got the capability to basically meet and intercept
missiles outside of the atmosphere, long-range, three-stage
missiles that can do what the Americans did, destroy an incoming
missile 37 kilometers (23-miles) above the earth traveling at 3.7
kilometers a second," he said as quoted by AFP.
Canberra had already decided it would also buy air-to-surface
attack cruise missiles which would be launched from fighter jets
and surveillance planes.
"We're planning to equip our FA-18s and the P3 Orions with
what you would call a cruise missile," Hill said.
Hill acknowledged earlier that Canberra was aware of criticism
of its participation in the U.S. missile program by regional
neighbors including Indonesia over and of suggestions it could
trigger a regional arms race.