Palau, Marshall Islands join global call for 24-hour notice for missile tests

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

Palau and the Marshall Islands have joined dozens of nations in seeking to regulate missile tests by demanding a 24-hour notice before the launch.

"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," reads a U.S.-led joint statement issued by 39 countries.

The statement came on the heels of China's test-launch into the South Pacific last month, drawing criticisms from several governments.

The 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, according to the 39 countries that signed on to the statement.

They demand that notifications include information such as the generic class of the ballistic missile or SLV, the planned launch notification window, the launch area and the planned direction.

They clarified that the call for "regularized, transparent" notification is not intended to "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," reads the statement.

The statement warns that an unannounced missile test "increases the risk of miscalculation, undermines global stability and security and is incompatible with the responsibilities that come with possessing long-range missile capabilities."

"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 says.

The text of the following statement was released by the governments of the United States, Albania, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Marshall Islands, Montenegro, the  Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea,  Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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