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BASES DES BALL AND THE DES BALL Anpb THE BASES ustralia has its own research institute for strategic issues, the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University in Canberra. Its head is Professor Des Ball, one of the world’s foremost experts on military politics, nuclear strategy and weapons. His interest in defence issues began when he Nurrungar is a ground station forthe DSP. | change. The infrared telescope bid DSP satel- was studying during the Vietnam years. Ar- | These stations operate three Code 647/DSP | lites can detect the launch of a missile and the rested in front of Parliament House carrying a | early warning satellites - one over the Indian | @PProximate location (within 3. nautical placard saying “I shall not fight in Viemam”, | ocean controlled from Nurrungar, another miles) of So launch site. This information p his case was dismissed by Justice John Kerr | over the Pacific and one above South Amer- | essential for planning a counter-strike. , (later Governor-General). This prolific | ica. They provide full coverage of all areas ‘The nuclear ‘detonation detection sensors authgr’s books have received international | from whichICBMs (Inter-Continemtal Ballis- | @board the satellites are designed with nuclear acclaim. tic Missiles) or SLBMs (Sea-Launched Bal- | War-fighting in mind, rather than arms-con- In 1980 A Suitable Piece of Real Estate: | listic Missiles) could be launched against the | ‘Tl agreements. These provide real-time in- American Installations in Australia was pub- | US, giving them some 25-30 minutes and 10- | formation on the location of nuclear detona- lished. Dedicated “for a sovereign Australia”, | 20minutes warming respectively. This system | tons. Thereis also apotential role forthe DSP this book made information on the US instal- | is at the heart of the US deterrent posture, | Systems in the Strategic Defence Initiative as lations public. For the first time the UK/USA | whichistolauncharetaliatory strikeonwam- | the satellites undergo evolutionary develop- Agreement on intelligence cooperation, the | ing of a Soviet missile attack. he CIA and the US DSP (Defense Support Pro- | SS . F gram) satellites, were linked together for Aus- N tralians to see. Most information on public record about these installations had been gained in spite of the efforts of Australian authorities. ‘Mature Partner’ While our authorities were excessively se- cretive about the bases, the Americans also have a history of withholding information. Ex-Prime Ministers Gorton, McMahon and Whitlam have all revealed that they were ignorant of aspects of base operations. Now, oA = after the trial of Christopher Boyce, the ‘ tie memoirs of Victor Marchetti (former assistant Peace Str ategies Significantly, technology is making it un- to CIA Executive and Deputy Directors) and The two arguments used by the Australian | necessary to have a ground station in Austra- the ‘Pine Gap Discrimination Case’ (docu- | government for the base at Nurrungar are: lia. Truck-mounted DSP terminals have been mented by P.L. Kealy, an Australian com- | (1) It plays a critical rote in supporting the | developed; satellite-to-satellite laser links puter operator who worked at Pine Gap from | 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty and the 1963 | will improve communications between them- 1970 to 1975), the Australian public and | Partial Test Ban Treaty, which have been | selves and the ground. government are much better informed about | instrumental in containing the spread of nu- | Therefore the real argument is about the rela- the roles of US bases here. clear weapons. live roles of the early-warning and war-fight- The result has been anew approachto our | (2) The DSP system helps maintain global | ing capabilities of the system. Des Ball’s involvement with the US and, to quote Des | stability by making it impossible for the So- | conclusion is “that an assessment of the stra- Ball, “that Australiacanno longerbetakenfor | viet Union to conduct a ballistic missile | tegic and technical considerations comes out granted. Any future Australian involvement | launch without the US being immediately | against Australia’s continual involvement in with American defence, scientific and intelli- | aware of it. Also, by being able toconfirmany | the DSP system”. gence operations will be as « mature parmer | such launch the system significantly reduces rather than merely as a suitable piece of real | the chance of accidental war (due to computer North West Cape estate”. malfunction, for example). f . . A Of the three major US bases in Australia, the New Revalations War Strategies situation with North West Cape is the most clear-cut. The station has nothing at all to do Now there are two new books on the Ameri- Against this has to be weighed the fact that with arms control - the nisin justification used can installations from Des Ball. A Base for ce aa 9 operations = DSP for Nunungar and Pits Gap Fonheg Atstrs- Debate deals with the US Satellite station at system can uss to support muclear war- lia has no access to the messages which pass Nurrungar and Pine Gap with the mostimpor- | fighting strategies - the convolled use of through it tant US installation in Australia. nuclear weapons in a ‘tit-for-tat’ nuclear ex- : 10 NEXUS New s Winter 1988 DES BALL Anpb THE BASES ustralia has its own research institute for strategic issues, the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University in Canberra. Its head is Professor Des Ball, one of the world’s foremost experts on military politics, nuclear strategy and weapons. Hiss interest in defence issues began when he Nurrungar is a ground station for the DSP. change. The infrared telescope = DSP satel- was studying during the Vietnam years. Ar- | These stations operate three Code 647/DSP lites c— detect the launch of a missile and the rested in front of Parliament House carrying a | early warning satellites - one over the Indian | @PProximate location (within 3 nautical placard saying “I shall not fight in Viemam”, | ocean controlled from Nurrungar, another miles) of read launch site. This information 1s his case was dismissed by Justice John Kerr | over the Pacific and one above South Amer- essential for planning a counter-strike. (later Governor-General). This prolific | ica. They provide full coverage of all areas ‘The nuclear detonation detection sersors authgr’s books have received international | from whichICBMs (Inter-Continemtal Ballis- | @board the satellites are designed with nuclear acclaim. tic Missiles) or SLBMs (Sea-Launched Bal- | War-fighting in mind, rather than arms-con- In 1980 A Suitable Piece of Real Estate: | listic Missiles) could be launched against the | ‘Tl agreements. These provide real-time in- American Installations in Australia was pub- | US, giving them some 25-30 minutes and 10- | formation on the location of nuclear detona- lished. Dedicated “for a sovereign Australia”, | 20minutes warming respectively. This system | tons. Thereis also apotential role forthe DSP this book made information on the US instal- | is at the heart of the US deterrent posture, | Systems in the Strategic Defence Initiative as lations public. For the first time the UK/USA | whichistolauncharetaliatory strikeonwam- | the satellites undergo evolutionary develop- Agreement on intelligence cooperation, the ing of a Soviet missile attack. ment. CIA and the US DSP (Defense Support Pro- | S\ 8g \ ——- = gram) satellites, were linked together for Aus- tralians to see. Most information on public record about these installations had been gained in spite of the efforts of Australian authorities. ‘Mature Partner’ While our authorities were excessively se- cretive about the bases, the Americans also have a history of withholding information. Ex-Prime Ministers Gorton, McMahon and Whitlam have all revealed that they were -\ ~ ignorant of aspects of base operations. Now, fe SS after the trial of Christopher Boyce, the tie : memoirs of Victor Marchetti (former assistant Peace Str ategies Significantly, technology is making it un- to CIA Executive and Deputy Directors) and The two arguments used by the Australian | necessary to have a ground station in Austra- the ‘Pine Gap Discrimination Case’ (docu- | government for the base at Nurrungar are: lia. Truck-mounted DSP terminals have been mented by P.L. Kealy, an Australian com- | (1) It plays a critical rote in supporting the | developed; satellite-to-satellite laser links puter operator who worked at Pine Gap from | 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty and the 1963 | will improve communications between them- 1970 to 1975), the Australian public and | Partial Test Ban Treaty, which have been | selves and the ground. government are much better informed about | instrumental in containing the spread of nu- | Therefore the real argument is about the rela- the roles of US bases here. clear weapons. live roles of the early-warning and war-fight- The result has been anew approachto our | (2) The DSP system helps maintain global | ing capabilities of the system. Des Ball’s involvement with the US and, to quote Des | stability by making it impossible for the So- | conclusion is “that an assessment of the stra- Ball, “that Australiacanno longerbetakenfor | viet Union to conduct a ballistic missile | tegic and technical considerations comes out granted. Any future Australian involvement | launch without the US being immediately | against Australia’s continual involvement in with American defence, scientific and intelli- | aware of it. Also, by being able toconfirmany | the DSP system”. gence operations will be as « mature parmer | such launch the system significantly reduces rather than merely as a suitable piece of real | the chance of accidental war (due to computer North West Cape estate”. malfunction, for example). f . . A Of the three major US bases in Australia, the New Revalations War Strategies situation with North West Cape is the most clear-cut. The station has nothing at all to do Now there are two new books on the Ameri- Against this has to be weighed the fact that with arms control - the nisin justification used can installations from Des Ball. A Base for ce aa 9 operations _ DSP for Nunungar and Pits Gap Fonheg Atstrs- Debate deals with the US Satellite station at system can use to support nuclear war- lia has no access to the messages which pass Nurrungar and Pine Gap with the mostimpor- | fighting strategies - the convolled use of through it tant US installation in Australia. nuclear weapons in a ‘tit-for-tat’ nuclear ex- : 10 NEXUS New Times Five - Winter 1988 estate”. ‘Mature Partner’ North West Cape War Strategies New Reyvyalations