UK ponders missile defense for London 2012 Olympics

(Reuters) - Britain is ready to use missiles to protect next year's London Olympics from an airborne attack, Defense Minister Philip Hammond said on Monday, amid reports the United States was unhappy with security plans for the games.


Ground-to-air missiles will be deployed to protect the London Olympics next year, under a plan being drawn up by the Ministry of Defence.
Both the RAF and Royal Navy have such weapons in their arsenals, but it would be the first time they are deployed to protect civilians, defence officials said.
A Home Office spokesman said: "Security planning is on track and funding has been protected. The government is committed to delivering a safe and secure Games that London, the UK and the world can enjoy.
"The International Olympic Committee undertake detailed inspections of security preparations and have full confidence in our plans. The UK has a strong and close working relationship with the US, who have expressed similar confidence.
"The government, London 2012 organising committee and G4S are working together to finalise the requirement for venue security and, as is common at major events in the UK, we will make the best and most appropriate use of all available resources."
Locog insiders said it was always likely the overall number of security staff would have to be reconsidered once the competition schedule and venue layouts were finalised.
"Since winning the bid, a huge amount of collaborative work has been completed. We finalised the competition schedule, with 650 sporting sessions over 18 days, built and selected over 100 competition and non-competition venues, and designed the transport and accommodation plans," said a spokeswoman.
"This all needed to be in place before the detailed security plans could be confirmed. This is being done in close collaboration with government and the security agencies whose role it is to determine the risk, and this detailed work has been taking place for the last year." The US embassy in London said it was "entirely normal and prudent for the US to engage in discussions with UK officials about security arrangements", and there was an "excellent" relationship with the Met. The statement continued: "The United States embassy has the utmost confidence in the British government's arrangements to ensure safety and security for the Olympic Games.
"The US team is one of the largest participating in the Games, and thousands of American tourists are expected to attend Olympic events.
"It is, therefore, entirely normal and prudent for the US to engage in discussions with UK officials about security arrangements for the Olympic Games.
"The US has established an excellent collaborative relationship with the Metropolitan police.
"Our Olympics co-ordinating office works closely with Assistant Police Commissioner Chris Allison on security issues, and with a range of UK officials from other offices charged with guaranteeing Olympic security.
"The truth is that any US security presence must be, has been, and will be coordinated closely with the Her Majesty's Government and with UK counterparts."