The controversial Vardo X-band radar site in Norway has been targeted by Russian nuclear missiles, Norwegian press reported this week, quoting Russian sources. Moscow has previously alleged that the radar is a part of the U.S.-proposed national missile defense (NMD) system, and as such violates the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty. X-band radars play a crucial role in NMD architecture, tracking missile trajectories and discriminating between warheads and decoys. Norway claims the Vardo radar's purpose is to monitor space debris.

General Leonid Ivashov, the head of the Defense Ministry's Military Cooperation section, also warned the same day that Russia would take unspecified measures "unless Norway closes the radar during Russian military exercises." The Vardo radar, even if not connected to the NMD system, could be used to monitor Russian tests and gather information on the radar signature of Russian missile launches -- information that can be used to improve performance of the NMD system.

In response, Norway's Defense Minister Sigur Frisvold suggested that Norway be included in a U.S. missile defense program, ostensibly to protect against threats from "terrorist nations." However, the timing of the request a day after the Russian threat to target Vardo with nuclear missiles makes it abundantly clear that Norway desires protection from a possible Russian nuclear strike against the Vardo radar.

The Vardo X-band radar was manufactured by Raytheon in the early 1990s. It operated for three years at Vandenberg Air Force base in California before being dismantled and moved to Norway. Although the NMD system plans to use two Europe-bases X-band radars in its latter stages (in Denmark-administered Greenland and in Great Britain), Vardo does not appear in U.S. plans. The Norwegian government maintains that the radar's sole purpose is to monitor space debris. "We have an exceptionally clear agreement with the Americans. If they wish to use the radar for another purpose than space surveillance, the whole agreement [on the use of the radar by the United States] has to be renegotiated," said the project leader for the Vardo radar, Tom Rykken, in an interview with the Norwegian daily Bergens Tidende.

However, the radar's unique technical capabilities and its proximity to Russia -- 40 miles from the border -- aroused suspicions of foul play in Moscow. "In the opinion of our analysts, the [Vardo radar] station will function as part of the anti-missile system [NMD]," said General Ivashov. Russian President Vladimir Putin named Norway alongside Britain and Denmark when warning the European countries against cooperation with the United States on NMD. "Washington needs European help, above all from Britain, Denmark, and Norway. These states risk being drawn into a process that will lead to an unpredictable destruction of strategic stability," he said.

The Russo-Norwegian dispute appeared to die down in early summer 2000. After unsuccessfully requesting access for its experts to the Vardo station, Russia softened its criticism of Norway. General Vladimir Yakovlev played down Vardo's role in NMD. "Judging by its technical characteristics, that radar is not an element of an [anti-ballistic missile defense] system," he said. However, he added, "the information obtained by the radar station could be used to develop and improve the anti-ballistic missile system as it is able to [monitor] routes and sites for space vehicle launches in the North Sea."

But the crisis flared anew in July, inflamed by suggestions in the United States to switch from destroying enemy missiles in their final, re-entry phase, as currently planned, to so-called "boost phase" intercepts. The latter concept relies on hitting ballistic missiles with intercepts shortly after they take off when the missiles are still attached to boosters (thus presenting a much larger and hotter target) and moving considerably slower. A boost-phase intercept system, however, would require placing interceptor missiles and radars close to likely launch sites, on land or on U.S. Navy ships. Norway has ordered five Aegis-class radar and missile launch systems from the United States. According to the U.S. Navy, the Aegis system could serve as a backbone of a boost-phase intercept missile defense system. Russian officials again sounded warning signals. "If this [Vardo] station works jointly with the radars of cruisers with guided missiles, which Norway will receive and which can be hypothetically armed with Aegis anti-missile systems, the systems can be used to liquidate our missiles at the boost stage," said General Yakovlev.