By JILL FANKHAUSER
Alaska Star

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visited Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Greeley’s missile defense facility June 1 at the invitation of Sen. Mark Begich.

Gates arrived at Elmendorf on the last leg of his Asia tour to a hanger filled with about 350 airmen, soldiers and sailors for a town-hall style meeting.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates shakes hands with an Alaska airman during his visit to Elmendorf Air Force Base June 1. The secretary hosted a town-hall meeting for Alaska airmen, sailors and soldiers at the base and visited Fort Greely missile defense site. Star Photo by Jill Fankhauser

“I believe that as the polar ice cap continues to melt, competition for arctic resources will intensify, potentially raising new unprecedented economic, political and perhaps even security problems,” Gates said. “I think your role here will become even more important as time goes along.”

Gates fielded a question from an airman about the number of projects that were cut and if the U.S. will be able to defend itself in a conventional war, say against China or Russia.

Gates explained that at the rate the U.S. is buying aircrafts, by 2020 the U.S. will have 1,200 fifth generation combat aircrafts - including F-22s and F-35s - plus 1,000 fourth generation aircrafts. In contrast, by 2020 the Chinese will have zero, and might have a few hundred by 2025. By then the U.S. will have 1,700 fifth generation planes, he said.

“So, both our numeral and technological edge will remain extremely strong and far superior to any potential competitor, for at least the next 15 to 20 years just based on the program we already have in place today,” he said. “I’m confident we have the country protected.”

Following the town hall meeting, the secretary boarded a C-17 airplane with Begich, Alaska military leaders, and national and Alaska media for a tour of missile silos at Fort Greely in Delta Junction, where the brunt of budget cuts would be felt.

The topics discussed during the visit included the $1 billion cut from defense budget last month and North Korea’s bomb and missile testing.

A large portion of budget cuts for 2010, 35 percent, includes halting construction on a second missile field and holding off the purchase of 14 interceptors needed to fill missile silos. The missile silos at Fort Greely currently house 20 inceptor missiles capable of stopping missiles launched in Asia or Russia. When the silos were first developed in 1998, plans called for 40 missiles.

With the upsurge in missile activity in North Korea, which includes possible long-range missiles that could hit Alaska or Hawaii, nuclear bombs and short-range missile tests - Alaska’s congressional delegation isn’t happy about the proposed cuts to state’s ground defense system.

“This is absolutely the wrong message to send to our adversaries,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski in a June 1 press statement.

Congressman Don Young sent a letter to Gates June 1 agreeing with Murkowski.

“North Korea continues to build its missile capabilities and is now able to launch a missile capable of hitting any place in the United States,” he wrote. “Before capping Field Two, it is important that the realities of construction in the Interior of Alaska be taken into consideration.”

Young explained the short construction season might mean the U.S. would not have the defense capabilities available when needed.

Begich was a little more optimistic and said that the budget cuts are only for the 2010 fiscal year and wouldn’t affect long-range plans for the missile defense site.

“It’s not a forever decision,” Gates said. “And if capabilities in one of these rouge states should develop faster or in a more worrisome way than anyone anticipates, then I think the way is open in the future to add to the number of silos and interceptors up here.”

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, June 11, 2009.