From: Subject: U.S. House of Representatives, House Armed Services Committee Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:59:47 +0200 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="windows-1250" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/armedsvc_dem/md061609.shtml X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2962 U.S. House of Representatives, House Armed Services = Committee [an error occurred = while=20 processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this = directive]=20 [an error occurred while processing this directive]=20
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For immediate release: =
June 16,=20 2009 Contact:
Loren=20 Dealy (HASC) 202-225-2539

Missile Defense = Fact=20 Sheet
H.R. 2647, = the FY10=20 NDAA
Prepared by the HASC=20 Staff

Overall, the 110th = Congress,=20 controlled by Democrats, provided more = than $20=20 billion for missile defense = programs.  The=20 National Defense Authorization Act for = Fiscal Year=20 2010 authorizes the full administration = request of=20 $9.3 billion for missile defense = programs.

The Number of Interceptors in = Alaska=20 and California is Enough to Protect=20 Us:

  • H.R. 2647 provides over $1 billion = for=20 research, development, testing, = deployment and=20 sustainment of long-range Ground-based = Midcourse=20 Defense (GMD) interceptors based in = Alaska and=20 California.=20
  • In the near term, North Korea could = only=20 launch, at most, one or two long-range = ballistic=20 missiles at the United States at any one = time,=20 and Iran has not yet tested a missile = capable of=20 reaching the United States.  These = threats=20 are unlikely to change dramatically in = the next=20 five years.=20
  • The 30 GMD interceptors deployed = under the=20 President=92s plan are more than enough = to counter=20 this threat.=20
  • North Korea=92s recent actions add = to the=20 urgency of ensuring the effectiveness of = the GMD=20 system, but they do not = change the=20 fundamental calculation of the number of = interceptors that are needed to meet = military=20 requirements. 
  • There is no validated military = requirement=20 from our commanders to support the 44=20 interceptors proposed by the Bush = administration=20 and Republicans in Congress.=20
  • H.R. 2647 supports the = administration=92s plan=20 for 30 operationally-effective GMD = interceptors=20 to counter emerging threats from rogue=20 nations. 

Military Commanders Actually = Vetted=20 These Missile Defense = Priorities:

  • The requirements for the missile = defense=20 recommendations made by Secretary Gates = and the=20 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs have been=20 thoroughly vetted by our military=20 commanders. =20
  • General O=92Reilly, the Director of = the=20 Missile Defense Agency (MDA), testified = before=20 the Subcommittee that the budget request = this=20 year was the first since the = establishment of=20 MDA, in 2002, in which key DOD = stakeholders such=20 as the combatant commanders played the = primary=20 role in developing the requirements for = the=20 missile defense budget.=20
  • Looking back to 2002, General = O=92Reilly also=20 testified that MDA=92s = projections of=20 the threat from long-range ballistic = missiles=20 from rogue nations was off =93by a = factor of 10 to=20 20.=94 
  • These projections were made without = review=20 by military commanders, and MDA=92s = initial=20 decision to deploy 40 (and then later = 44) GMD=20 interceptors was never validated by = DOD=92s=20 requirements process. =20
  • Setting the goal of 30 = thoroughly-tested,=20 operational GMD interceptors is an = appropriate=20 approach to defend against these = emerging=20 threats.=20
  • H.R. 2647 also fully funds continued = development of the Standard Missile-3 = (SM-3)=20 Block IIA interceptor. This will provide = the=20 Aegis BMD system the capability to = counter=20 long-range ballistic missiles like the = North=20 Korean Taepo Dong II.

Ground-based Midcourse Defense = (GMD)=20 Must be Made Operationally=20 Effective:

  • The 26 currently-deployed GMD = interceptors=20 provide a basic capability, but these = systems=20 continue to experience a number of = technical=20 challenges that impair operational=20 effectiveness. =20
  • Earlier this year, the Department of = Defense=20 was forced to remove several GMD = interceptors=20 from their silos for unscheduled = maintenance=20 because unanticipated problems were=20 discovered. =20
  • Given the real threats we face, our = priority=20 must be to ensure that the GMD system = will work=20 in an operationally effective = manner. =20
  • H.R. 2647 authorizes = over $1=20 billion to test, sustain and improve the = existing GMD system, including a = provision that=20 requires the Department to develop a = long-term=20 sustainment and modernization = program. =20
  • H.R. 2647 ensures that we have a = missile=20 defense system that actually works. =

Combatant Commanders Need = Increased=20 Theater Missile Defense=20 Capabilities:
 

  • The most significant ballistic = missile=20 threat to U.S. interests, deployed = forces, and=20 friends and allies comes from short- and = medium-range ballistic missiles.=20
  • The U.S. Intelligence Community = estimates=20 that the total number of ballistic = missiles=20 other than those held by the United = States, NATO=20 nations, Russia, and China is over = 5,900. =20 Short- and medium-range = ballistic=20 missiles represent 99% of that=20 total.=20
  • Over the past several years, = combatant=20 commanders have called for increasing = our=20 theater missile defense capabilities to = counter=20 this threat. =20
  • Theater missile defense was not a = priority=20 of the previous Administration.  = Last year,=20 Democrats refused to allow the Bush=20 Administration delay the deployment of = several=20 THAAD fire units, a top priority of our=20 commanders for theater missile = defense. =20 Republicans were silent on this issue.=20
  • H.R. 2647 supports the President=92s = request=20 to increase funding for the deployment = of proven=20 missile defense systems like Aegis BMD = and the=20 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense = (THAAD) by=20 $900 million over the FY09 funded = level. =20
  • Further, under the President=92s = current plan,=20 our theater missile defense capabilities = will=20 continue to grow beyond FY10. =20
  • Over the next five years, Aegis = Standard=20 Missile-3 interceptor inventory will = grow from=20 133 to 329 missiles, and THAAD = interceptor=20 inventory will grow from 96 interceptors = to 287.=20

Decision to Cancel Troubled = Missile=20 Defense Programs is Well = Grounded:=20

  • H.R. 2647 supports the President=92s = decision=20 to cancel three troubled missile defense = programs =96 the Kinetic Energy = Interceptor, the=20 Multiple Kill Vehicle, and the second = Airborne=20 Laser prototype aircraft. =20
  • All three of these programs have = faced=20 serious technical, operational, and=20 affordability challenges.  =20
  • As Secretary of Defense Gates stated = in=20 testimony before the House Armed = Services=20 Committee on May 13, 2009: =20 =93The security of the = American people=20 and the efficacy of missile defense are = not=20 enhanced by continuing to put money into = programs that=85in terms of their = operational=20 concept are fatally flawed, or research = programs=20 that are essentially sinkholes for = taxpayer=20 dollars.=94  =


European Missile Defense = Must=20 Respond to Real Threat:

  • The Administration is currently = reviewing=20 the decision to expand the GMD system to = Europe.=20
  • The proposed GMD Site in Poland = would=20 provide no protection against Iran=92s = existing=20 inventory of short-and medium-range = ballistic=20 missile that currently threaten our NATO = allies=20 in Southern Europe.=20
  • Any future missile defense system = deployed=20 in Europe must be part of a = comprehensive=20 approach that addresses the most likely = threats=20 on a prioritized basis.

The United States is Not = Undercutting=20 its NATO Allies:

  • NATO did not request that the United = States=20 deploy long-range missile defense = interceptors=20 in Europe.=20
  • This was a U.S. proposal pushed for = and=20 advocated by the Bush Administration.=20
  • While NATO has acknowledged the = potential=20 contribution of the proposed European = Site, it=20 is not a fully endorsed NATO program, = and NATO=20 has not pledged any financial support = for the=20 proposed deployment.=20
  • The previous administration = initially tried=20 to bypass NATO altogether and only = sought its=20 support after Congressional Democrats = voiced=20 concerns.=20
  • Congressional Democrats passed = legislation=20 last year requiring both the Czech = Republic and=20 Poland to ratify the agreement before = systems=20 could be deployed.=20
  • Given that the Czech government = recently=20 collapsed, it is unclear if the Czech = Republic=20 will ever ratify the agreement.=20
  • Poland has made clear that its prime = objective is improving overall strategic = cooperation with the United States, not = missile=20 defense. Missile defense is merely a = means to=20 reaching a desired end-state. =
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