Does the U.S. plan to deploy elements of the missile defense system to the joint military facilities in Bulgaria?
The joint military facilities are not intended to be involved in missile defense. The proposed U.S. missile defense assets in Europe would defend the U.S. and Europe against longer-range ballistic missile threats launched from the Middle East. The U.S. would benefit from redundant protection from attacks originating in the Middle East, while Europe would gain defenses where none previously existed. Bulgaria, like other southern European countries, does not face longer-range threats from Iran, given its proximity to the Middle East. NATO has focused its missile defense development efforts on countering shorter range threats. The United States and NATO efforts are complementary and could work together to form a more effective defense for Europe. (More information on the issue of missile defense is available on the U.S. Embassy website at bulgaria.usembassy.
