Discrimination, the Multiple Kill Vehicle Payload System and antagonising the Russians

Multinational BAE Systems, has gone to the Equal Opportunity Tribunal seeking an exemption from anti-discrimination laws for its South Australian operations. The company wants to be allowed to discriminate against staff on the grounds of nationality, in order to continue to work with U.S. defence contractors. The US apparently says it has a legal right to exclude certain foreign nationals from access to “sensitive defence material”. There are 11 countries on a banned list which include China, Iran and North Korea.

BAE claims it could lose US contracts and be precluded from defence-related work for Australia's defence force without the exemption. Precluded from ADF related work? Did I miss something? When did the ADF become bound by US Military requirements? At the Equal Opportunity Tribunal, BAE lawyer Tim Stanley tendered a letter of support from South Australian Treasurer Kevin Foley, who said similar exemptions had been granted in all other mainland states.

Probably all for the best really, I mean it would be a bit macabre wouldn’t it, for the people assembling weapons systems to end up at a later date being targeted by the product of their own labour?

BAE boasts on their web site that they are:

• 4th largest defence company (presumably globally)
• No 1 European defence company
• Top Ten US defense company, Annual sales exceed $22 bn

Following article;

BAE Systems to develop seeker for Multiple Kill Vehicle program
from Military & Aerospace Electronics.

BAE Systems will develop and test a key component of the U.S. Missile Defence Agency's Multiple Kill Vehicle payload system.

The company will produce, test, and integrate the system's carrier vehicle seeker for the captive carry test bed under a two-year, $6.3 million contract from Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co.

In the event of an enemy missile launch, an interceptor equipped with this payload will track down the target using data up linked to the BAE Systems seeker aboard the carrier vehicle. Once outside the earth's atmosphere, the seeker will acquire and track all threat objects, including the missile and any countermeasures deployed to disrupt U.S. defences. The carrier vehicle will then dispense a large number of small "kill vehicles," guiding them to destroy the targets designated by the seeker.

"Success in this key technology demonstration will keep the Multiple Kill Vehicle program on the path of delivering earliest operational capability to the war fighter," says Rick Reginato, Lockheed Martin program director in Sunnyvale, California.

In a degree of separation, Russia has deemed the planned deployment of US military bases and missile defence sites in Central and Eastern Europe, to be a threat. In response, Russia has in recent months undertaken tests of a new ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads and a new cruise missile. Officials have repeatedly rejected US assurances that the planned missile defence installations are meant to counter a potential threat from countries such as Iran and pose no danger to Russia. President Vladimir Putin was quoted saying “They are filling eastern Europe with new weapons. A new base in Bulgaria, another one in Romania, a [missile defence] site in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic. What we are supposed to do? We can't just sit back."