Germany has (finally) agreed to participate in the three-year $250 million Risk Reduction Effort for the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS). (Germany will cover 28% of the cost, Italy 17%, and the US 55%.) MEADS is intended to become the next generation of air defense systems for the West, but the Germans have expressed serious doubts about the total cost and whether the system can deal with the next generation of aircraft.-Stephen V Cole