The United States would still be interested in installing a radar in the Czech Republic even if it should fail to reach a deal with Poland on the other main part of its planned European missile defense system.

The director of the US Missile Defense Agency, Lt. Gen. Henry A. "Trey" Obering, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday that the radar could serve multiple functions within the global US missile defense system.

The United States and the Czech Republic have said they are nearing a deal on the radar, but talks with Poland about building a site for 10 interceptors have lagged.