European Missile Defense Receives $465 Million In Defense Authorization, $246 Million Under Budget Request
Congress, rushing to wrap up work for the year ahead of the Nov. 4 general election, produced a compromise House-Senate defense authorization measure that cut various missile defense programs by a total $410 million.
Much of that overall $410 million cut in missile defense was centered on a single program, a $246 million cut in funding for the planned European Missile Defense (EMD) system that would be installed in the Czech Republic (radar) and Poland (interceptors in ground silos).
After the cut, the EMD program is left with an authorization of just $465 million.
Some more-developed missile defense programs saw funding advances, while other missile defense programs were hit with cuts, including the Airborne Laser, Kinetic Energy Interceptor and the Multiple Kill Vehicles program.
Specifically, these were some cuts from missile defense programs:
Airborne Laser, $29 million cut from funds not related to its all-important first-time shoot-down of a target missile next year
The Space Tracking and Surveillance System, $35 million less
The Multiple Kill Vehicles program, a $50 million cut
Special Missile Defense Agency (MDA) programs, $125 million less
The Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI), a $45 million reduction
The ballistic missile defense system core, a $30 million cut
The Space Test Bed, all $10 million that MDA requested
However, in separate final legislation providing actual appropriated funds, the KEI program was uncut, receiving the full $386 million that MDA requested.
Those authorization cuts offset funding increases in other missile defense programs, such as an increase of more than $175 million for near-term ballistic missile defense (BMD) capabilities: $70 million extra for the Aegis sea-based weapon control system and its companion Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) ship-based interceptor; $50 million for THAAD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system); $28 million for short-range missile defense; $30 million more for an upper-tier follow-on to the Arrow missile, a joint Israeli-U.S. program; and more than $20 million added for Army BMD technology development programs.
On THAAD and the Standard Missile, the bill transfers $115 million from research and development accounts for THAAD and SM-3, and adds $50 million for THAAD long-lead procurement in the new THAAD procurement line.
Aside from the cuts, the authorization measure also mandates restrictions and studies that could prove a challenge to some missile defense programs.
The measure continues a ban on using any funds for construction or deployment of the EMD system until the Czech Republic and Polish legislatures add their backing of EMD to the approval that the Czech and Polish governments already have provided. Also, if the legislatures approve, money still couldn’t go to EMD construction and deployment until 45 days after a report to Congress on the system is received.
The measure also limits spending funds until the Pentagon director of operational test and operation certifies that the EMD interceptor has demonstrated a high probability of accomplishing its mission in an operationally effective manner.
Because the EMD interceptor is a variant of a U.S. Ground-base Midcourse Defense system already deployed in Alaska and California, that provision wouldn’t likely pose a problem. But testing the EMD interceptors could delay the program for a substantial time, while Iran is fast gaining missile capabilities at the same time that it is producing nuclear materials.
On another point, the authorization bill requires the next administration to conduct a full review of U.S. ballistic missile defense policy, strategy, and related matters.
And the House-Senate measure ordered an independent assessment of boost-phase missile defense programs, particularly the Airborne Laser (ABL) and the Kinetic Energy Interceptor program.
Specifically, on ABL, the bill orders the Pentagon testing director to evaluate testing conducted on the ABL, and prohibits the use of funds to procure a second ABL aircraft until the Secretary of Defense, after receiving the views of the testing director, certifies that the ABL has demonstrated a high probability of being operationally effective, suitable, survivable, and affordable.
More broadly, the authorization bill consolidates two testing-director missile defense reports, so that they include a characterization of the effectiveness, suitability, and survivability of the ballistic missile defense system in an annual report on missile defense testing
The measure also requires a report on Prompt Global Strike concepts, involving long-range conventionally-armed missiles.
As well, the bill requires the next administration of the president to be elected Nov. 4 to conduct a national security space posture review.
Another provision would require a study on security risks associated with certain satellite launch activities.
The bill also mandates a comprehensive plan for the next generation of missile warning satellite systems, taking into account capabilities of current and planned systems, and ongoing research activities.
Another provision orders a report to Congress, due in 2010, on commercial satellite acquisition strategy.
Reaction To The Bill
One lawmaker, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), was philosophical, saying the original House-passed defense authorization bill would have cut far more from EMD. The compromise provided $124 million more for EMD than the original House-passed version of the legislation.
“While this amount does not meet the request made by President Bush, it is significantly more than the amount originally passed in the House bill,” said Lamborn, a co-chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Missile Defense Caucus.
But a less sanguine view came from Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), who said, “I am especially disappointed that Democrats in the House cut $246 million to fully fund the European Missile Defense Site.”
Franks also is a co-chairman of the caucus.
The action came in passage of the overall defense authorization bill for the fiscal year 2009 that begins Wednesday. It provides $531.4 billion in discretionary budget authority for the Department of Defense and the national security programs of the Department of Energy.
Further, it provides $68.6 billion in supplemental authorizations for the initial months of fiscal 2009 to support current operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Separate fiscal 2009 appropriations legislation provides the actual funding for defense programs.
Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said he is disappointed that more funding wasn’t provided for EMD, because Iran constitutes a growing threat of missile attack on Europe.
“We’re moving ahead in the area of missile defense to try to establish a capability in Europe that would handle an Iranian missile launch,” Hunter noted. “This is an important item because it brings the partnership — the NATO-plus partnership — along with us in what is sometimes a difficult and expensive mission, but a necessary one in order to defend the world in this new era of missiles.”
Hunter also lamented that the compromise authorization bill doesn’t do enough to protect U.S. space assets.
“The shooting down of a satellite by China heralded a new era of military competition in space with China, whether we like it or not,” Hunter said.
“When you’re in a military competition, there’s only one alternative, and that is to win. I would urge this committee in the years ahead to build a capability in space to make sure that we maintain all of the institutions and apparatus that we need to make sure that our military and economy operates effectively.”
China shot down one of its own weather satellites using a ground-based interceptor missile. And China used a ground-based laser to disable a U.S. military satellite.
Some military analysts say China might attempt to demolish U.S. space assets, especially military intelligence and communications satellites, if China makes good on its threat to invade Taiwan.
Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.) said the compromise measure is welcome in that it supports some missile defense programs well.
The bill “supports development and fielding of near-term missile defense capabilities, including the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense and THAAD, and increases funds for these programs by $120 million,” Everett said.
The measure also funds key military space modernization programs, and focuses more attention on nuclear weapons security.
Even Everett, however, said there were shortcomings in the authorization bill.
“I would have liked to have seen it include an independent study to examine the feasibility of space-based interceptors, as well as funding for the Reliable Replacement Warhead Phase 2a study, two areas that must be addressed to ensure our continued security.”
Franks said at least the final bill contains a provision he sought, requiring an annual report on Iran’s capability to produce nuclear weapons. Iran, defying developed nations, has thousands of centrifuges whirling to produce nuclear fuel that it claims is for electrical power generation, but which Western nations fear will be used to produce nuclear weapons.
Iran also has an ambitious missile development program, which is why the United States wishes to install the protective EMD system in Europe.
Franks also lamented the failure of the House-Senate compromise bill to “include an authorization to study the concept of space based interceptors. The United States must not continue to sit idly by while other nations aggressively pursue space for military purposes. We can do better than this and I look forward to working with my colleagues to address these issues in the next Congress.”
On other points, the House-Senate authorization bill:
Adds $100 million for advanced procurement and additional spares to mitigate effects of the production break issues associated with reconstituting suppliers for the fourth Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite.
Adds $30 million for operations to support the Spaced-based Infrared Satellite program, including additional funds for ground control stations.
Adds $3 million for an advanced hypersonic boost glide vehicle and realigned funding consistent with consolidation of Prompt Global Strike funding that started in the current 2008 fiscal year.
But the measure provides no funding for Reliable Replacement Warhead at the National Nuclear Security Administration, and redirects Navy RRW funding, providing funds for arming firing and fusing.