Prime Minister's Statement

"There is plenty of public information about the Baker Nunn Station at Mount John," continued Mr Holyoake, "and it has been seen by many members of the public." This statement almost gives an accurate picture of the situation—"almost" because Mr Holyoake failed to state that the information which was made available was only made so after the agreement allowing the USAF to construct the Station was completed in virtual secrecy and, indeed, after the Station had been in fact constructed. Mr Holyoake then added "The only specific charge Canta makes seems to be that the Station is designed to enable the United States to shoot down orbiting nuclear weapons. To place such weapons in orbit would be a violation of the Space Treaty and there is no suggestion that any are in orbit."

Mr. Holyoake's remarks do not, of course, constitute in any way a denial of Mr Wilkes' assertions in Canta or the assertions made in Salient last year. They are, in fact, at variance with the information provided by Aerospace Defence: Background Information, the USAF document quoted earlier, which states quite clearly that the Baker-Nunn camera stations form part of the Aerospace Command. As has already been pointed out in this article, the Aerospace Command has control of an Anti-satellite Defence System "which is capable of interception and destruction of armed satellites." Mr Holyoake's reply on this point would therefore seem to have avoided the point