Alaska Beat

Radar station to get $200 million upgrade

Alaska is an integral part of the nation's missile defense system, Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly said at a lunchtime speech earlier today. O'Reilly is the director of the Missile Defense Agency, a research and acquisition agency within the Department of Defense.

O'Reilly reassured Alaskans that Fort Greely will be active for the next thirty years, and also announced that $200 million will be spent to upgrade the radar system at Clear Air Force Station.

Clear Air Force Station is just off the Parks Highway about 80 miles south of Fairbanks. The station will be able to spot incoming missiles which can then be destroyed by interceptors launched from Fort Greely, which is southeast of Fairbanks.

The lunch was hosted by Commonwealth North at the Dena'ina Center, and sitting at the front table with O'Reilly were Sen. Mark Begich and Brig. Gen. Thomas Katkus.

Interestingly, Fort Greely can't participate in any missile tests because the base's environmental impact statement doesn't allow it. In the face of incoming hostile missiles, O'Reilly said, those rules would be set aside and the interceptors would be launched.

"In a time of war we would launch," O'Reilly said.

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