THE U.S. would want to use North Yorkshire radar bases for the controversial "Son of Star Wars" project, senior Ministry of Defence officials have said.

The admission ends months of debate over whether RAF Fylingdales and Menwith Hill would be involved in President George W. Bush's £100 billion missile defence scheme.

Prominent figures including Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith had suggested it would not have a role to play, easing fears they could become a target for terrorist attack.

But yesterday Brian Hawtin, the MoD's director general for international security policy, told the Commons defence committee: "The facilities feature very large in their calculations".

Paul Roper, director of strategic technologies at the MoD, described Fylingdales as a "very attractive option", for the US as part of its project designed to protect itself from missile attacks from the Middle East.

The officials disclosed that the government had already given permission for the U.S. to install a new space-based infra-red system ground relay station at Menwith Hill to monitor missile launches around the world.

But Mr Hawtin said: "If the US wanted to use this for missile defence purposes, it would need to request approval".

Updated: 11:30 Thursday, February 28, 2002