Pine Gap Denial
(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) CANBERRA. Feb. 26. The Australian Minister of Defence (Mr Allen Fairhall), denied today that, the joint American-Australian installation at Pine Gap, in Central Australia, was' designed to control American missiles aimed at China. Mr Fairhall was replying to a question in the House of Representatives by Dr James Cairns, a Labour Opposition member. Dr Cairns had asked whether the Minister was aware of a competent scientific view that the facility was for the guiding of fractional orbital ballistic qiissiles in the event of an attack on China, and for the detection of those which might be aimed at the United States. “If this is so, would it now mean that Pine Gap would be a primary target in the event of nuclear war?” Dr Cairns asked. Mr Fairhall denied that the installation was designed to control and track missiles as Dr Cairns suggested. The installation was “being used for pure research into those aspects of space phenomena which might have a bearing on defence.”
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31926, 1 March 1969, Page 17
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170Pine Gap Denial Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31926, 1 March 1969, Page 17
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