The United States and allies across Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and the Middle East released a statement on Tuesday urging nations to give a 24-hour notice for ballistic missile launches after China came under Washington scrutiny for failing to alert others of an intercontinental ballistic missile launched last month.
The statement, released by the State Department, demands that all nations launching intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and space launch vehicles notify neighboring nations that could be affected one day before launching.
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“Conducting nuclear-capable ballistic missile tests without sufficient advance notice and detail is dangerous and disrupts the peace and security of relevant nations in proximity to these tests,” the joint statement said. “It increases the risk of miscalculation, undermines global stability and security, and is incompatible with the responsibilities that come with possessing long-range missile capabilities.”
The U.S. and nearly 150 other countries have already agreed to such a notification system under the Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, which was established in 2002 to bolster the Missile Technology Control Regime, founded in 1987 to limit the spread of ballistic missiles and other weapons delivery systems.
At the time of alerting, the bloc also requests that nations launching missiles provide the “generic class of the ballistic missile or SLV, the planned launch notification window, the launch area, and the planned direction.”
“Countries should also provide clear notices for airmen and mariners consistent with international standards to reduce risk, including in expected impact or landing areas,” the statement continued. “Regularized, transparent notification arrangements do not constrain any nation’s military development or operational needs. Instead, they reduce the risk of miscalculation, build confidence, and reflect a shared commitment to security.”
The statement follows State Department officials criticizing China for conducting a ballistic missile test in the Pacific Ocean in July.
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On July 6, Chinese forces tested a submarine-launched, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile without notifying nearby nations. Victoria Nibarger, a State Department official, discussed the multinational notification commitment at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Tuesday and said that the countries that received notice from China were only alerted two hours before the test. Nibarger noted that Beijing also failed to include the necessary details in the notifications it sent, and that such actions have occurred in the past.
While the joint statement does not specifically fault China for failing to notify affected countries, it does note, “Recent missile testing activity in the Pacific area did not follow the standard practices adopted by most states to notify and deconflict ICBM, SLBM, and SLV launches.”
