Plan To Co-ordinate West’s Air Defences

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27838, 10 December 1955, Page 9

Plan To Co-ordinate West’s Air Defences

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 9. Discussing what is called the inadequacy of Western Europe’s air defences, the defence correspon(Jen\of the “Manchester Guardian,” writing from Paris, says that' at present Russia’s new jet bombers can escape detection over a large part of Western Europe and that air defence against them is uncoordinated. The British Isles alone, he says, are fairly well protected both by radar and by fighter aircraft. He says a plan to extend similar protection to the whole of Western Europe will be discussed next week in Paris by the North Atlantic Council. The correspondent says the fact that the new Soviet aircraft can escape detection has come as a shock to some West European governments. But these aircraft can fly at 50,000 ft at a speed of nearly 600 miles an hour. The radar equipment which covers much of Western Europe is simply not good enough to deal with them. He says there are also gaps in the chain of radar stations and one or two European Governments say they cannot afford to man their stations 24 hours a day. Thus the warning which Britain would receive from Continental radar is uncertain.

It is assumed that in a nuclear war the British Isles would be the chief target in Europe. In such a war the first priority for the Soviet Air Force would be to eliminate bomber bases in Britain. These include the main bases of the Royal Air Force’s bombers, which will carry the hydrogen bomb, and the British bases of the United States Strategic Air Command. There are no bases of comparable importance on the Continent. The earliest possible warning from Continental radar to the British Isles is vital, he says. Military authorities in Paris believe the Soviet Government might be more likely to attack if an unexpected blow could be successful, but better radar supported by air defence, would make that improbable.

The plan which will go before the North Atlantic Council next week has been approved by the military committee, on which all 15 nations are represented. It jfroposes that radar and air defence shall no longer be treated as a national responsibility, but shall come under General Gruenther’s control.

The most urgent measure is to construct a strong radar chain extending from northern Norway to eastern Turkey. In the Polar regions it will eventually link with the radar system now being built across northern Canada from Alaska to Greenland.

Radar is only half the plan. The other half concerns air defence with fighters and guided missiles. With these, an improvement is to be sought on the Continent. Neither in Britain nor on the Continent are there any anti-aircraft missiles ready yet, but they are coming. The British Isles—though it will surprise some critics in England—is considered in Paris to have the best air defence organisation in the world, the correspondent adds. Co-ordination, however, between the British and Continental defences is regarded as less than satisfactory. The planners in Paris hope that the British Government will agree to regard the British Isles as a region or area comparable to each of the three commands which now exist under General Gruenther. But they have carefully from asking that Fighter Command in Britain shall come directlj’ - under him. That is more than the Air Ministry would swallow, the correspondent says.