Senate Funds U.S. Missile Defenses

The U.S. Senate last week approved billions of dollars in fiscal 2007 for development of U.S. missile defenses, The Huntsville (Ala.) Times reported (see GSN, Sept. 5).

The defense appropriations bill cuts $200 million from the Defense Department budget request for the Kinetic Energy Interceptor, which would be designed to eliminate enemy missiles in their boost phase.

However, the Senate designated $3.3 billion for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system and $164.7 million for the program to place multiple kill vehicles on single missile interceptors.  Lawmakers directed another $489 million toward the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 program, the Times reported.

The House and Senate must now reconcile their defense appropriations bills in a conference committee.  Fiscal 2007 begins on Oct. 1 (Shelby Spires, The Huntsville Times, Sept. 9).

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