Fears of 'Star Wars' link as US missiles chief visits Fylingdales

The head of the US national missile defence programme (NMD) is to visit a military base in the heart of the North York Moors, fuelling suspicions that it is to become a centrepiece of George W Bush's 'Son of Star Wars' project.

Defence chiefs played down the significance of General Ronald Kadish's trip to RAF Fylingdales, an early warning radar station, in North Yorkshire. But news of it comes just days after Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, provided a signal of British support for the nuclear shield project.

His comments increased concerns of campaigners who have pledged to make Fylingdales the next Greenham Common if Britain gives the necessary approval.

General Kadish can expect a noisy welcome from CND protesters when he arrives to tour the base on Wednesday

"It is an informal familiarisation visit," a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said. "It is not a precursor to anything more serious"

But observers are attaching significance to a speech delivered three days ago by Mr Hoon, in which he warned of the growing threat of a missile attack on Britain from a "rogue state" such as Iraq.

Mr Hoon said the development of a defence against ballistic missile attack was "in the interests of the UK and its people, just as much as it is in the interests of the United States".

The deployment of NMD would require an upgrade to Fylingdales to make it part of the Space-Based Infra Red System (SBIRS), with a role tracking incoming missiles and relaying the information to the US. It is rumoured the secretive facility will require a new 14-storey facility to conform to NMD.

Revelations earlier this year that minor upgrades had taken place secretly and without planning permission did little to assuage local suspicions about the MoD's intentions.