Philip Coyle, a recognized american expert on U.S. and worldwide military research, development and testing, on operational military matters, and on national security policy and defense spending, has been on a visit to Czech republic in these days.

Coyle has an extensive background in missile defense, in military space systems, and in high-technology weapons, in nuclear weapons research, development, and testing.

From Sept. 29, 1994, through Jan. 20, 2001, Coyle was assistant secretary of defense and director, Operational Test and Evaluation, in the Department of Defense (DOD), and is the longest serving director in the 20-year history of the office.

At DOD, Coyle's responsibilities included stewardship of the Defense Department’s Major Range and Test Facility Bases, including the large test ranges and test centers which DOD operates from Maryland and Florida to California and Hawaii.

Coyle was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the 2005 Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
  
As director, Operational Test and Evaluation, Coyle had responsibility for overseeing the test and evaluation of over 200 major defense acquisition systems.

Now he works as a senior advisor to the Center for Defense Information.

Coyle, who was invited by Czech Greenpeace, has become a prominent critic of U.S. missile defense system and especially its proposed Europe-based parts.


Hear the exclusive interview made by Greenpeace with Mr. Coyle on 14.01.2008 »


PROGRAMME OF MR. COYLE'S VISIT

Monday, 14th January

3 p.m. – official visit of Rokycany. Meeting with local mayors, members of Parliament and senators, followed by press briefing.

Tuesday, 15th January

10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – visit of Parliamentary Club of Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD), meeting with Jiří Paroubek, Chairman of ČSSD

3 p.m. – 4 p.m. – meeting with Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg

Wednesday, 16th January

11 a.m. – 12 a.m. – meeting with Senator Petr Pithart

1 p.m. – 3 p.m. – lunch with presidential candidate Jan Švejnar
 
4 p.m. – 8 p.m. – seminar on radar, held at the Parliament

Thursday, 17th January

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – meeting with Chamber of Deputies Chairman, Miloslav Vlček. 
 
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. – press conference, kinosál at Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of CR, Sněmovní 4, Prague 1. Vice-chairman of Chamber of Deputies, Lubomír Zaorálek. 

4 p.m. – 6 p.m. – seminar “Questions on antimissile defense”, held at the Parliament, Sněmovní 1, room 205. Organized by Masarykova dělnická akademie with Lubomír Zaorálek, Vice-chairman of Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of CR; moderated by Miloš Balabán, PhD., Head of CESES, Charles University, Prague.

6 p.m - Press foyer with Philip Coyle and Lubomír Zaorálek in blue salon (next to the room 205)


Source: Greenpeace (at the bottom of the site)