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Eamonn McCann
Raytheon in Derry
is involved in war production, in direct conflict with the
stated position of Derry City Council.
In January
2004, the council said it had “received assurances that the
Raytheon facility here in Derry would only be engaged in
activities that had civilian applications.” If these
assurances were broken, “then Council’s position will
change.”
The assurances
have been broken. The council should now implement its
resolution.
Raytheon’s
Springtown plant helps produce the ASTOR (Airborne Stand-Off
Radar) system, currently in use in Afghanistan to guide NATO
bombs to their targets, and JETTS (Joint Effects Tactical
Targeting System), an electronic command-and-control system
for military operations.
The Derry
involvement in arms manufacture is shown in published
documents, including those brought to light by the Belfast
Telegraph, using the Freedom of Information Act.
Seven months
after the council resolution, on 23 August 2004, local
Raytheon boss Stephen Lewis met with Jim McConnell of Invest
Northern Ireland to discuss a contract from the Ministry of
Defence for the software component of JETTS.
Raytheon’s
website describes JETTS as an “an electronic software based
toolset for use by military headquarters staff to manage and
coordinate the sensor-to-shooter cycle...The aim is to
improve the operational capability in the battlespace by
enhancing the combat effects of tempo, simultaneity,
surprise, tactical agility, lethality and survivability, all
whilst reducing fratricide.”
This was war
production, plain and simple.
McConnell’s minute of the August 2004 meeting told: “Key
issue for NISSC (the Derry plant) on this contract will the
attitude of the council. Both the MOD and RSLD (Raytheon)
will be looking for acceptance in principle that the council
have no objections regarding this work.
NISSC to write to the council and Alan McCormick will be
planning to meet Tony McGurk to update him and see how best
to move forward. Company will not issue a press release...
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“If the council
is reluctant to back the project then the future of NISSC is
uncertain.”
The minute
records that, “McCormick thanked Invest NI for its support
during this period, including our input to the Derry Council
situation. It appears that the current mayor (Sinn Fein) is
very supportive.”
It should be
noted that we have only the Raytheon man’s word for it that
the mayor of the time was “very supportive.” The councillor
concerned may wish to clarify the position.
Among the
questions which arise are: Did Raytheon seek, and did it
obtain, “acceptance in principle that the council have no
objections regarding this work”? Did the envisaged meeting
between Alan McCormick of Raytheon and Tony McGurk of the
council take place? When? Was anyone else present? Was the
meeting minuted? What was the outcome and to whom was the
outcome reported? Which elected representatives, if any,
were informed that these exchanges were taking place? Were
any council officials or councillors aware of or collude in
Raytheon’s strategy of secrecy? (“Company will not issue a
press release.”)
On February 27th
this year, NIO Minister Angela Smith said in a memorandum to
a Commons committee that, “(Raytheon's) Northern Ireland
operation is involved in leading-edge work in phased array
radar system and the development of leading-edge software
for civil and military air traffic control systems. The
company has participated in major MoD contracts, including
the ASTOR and JETTS programmes."
The Daily
Telegraph
in July reported that the ASTOR bomb-guidance system has
been rushed into service ahead of schedule because of the
deteriorating position of NATO forces in Afghanistan.
On 15 May last, the CEO of Raytheon International, Thomas M.
Culligan, introducing a new
head of
Raytheon’s UK operation, declared: “Ongoing efforts on
several key programs, including ASTOR, JETTS, Precision
Guided Bombs and UK Javelin, are critical to our customers’
success and Raytheon’s.”
He added that
the UK operation “is a prime contractor and major supplier
to the UK Ministry of Defence and is involved in numerous
high priority programmes for both MOD and the US Department
of Defence.”
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