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U.S. Plans II: Officials Explore Space-Based Missile Defense In 2004, the United States plans to begin developing a space-based missile defenses, U.S. Missile Defense Agency officials said Wednesday, reported Defense Daily (see GSN, Oct. 29). Defense officials announced the plans while speaking to industry officials about plans for a kinetic energy boost-phase interceptor, which is to begin before the space-based effort. The space capability will also include a kinetic energy boost-phase interceptor, according to Terry Little, the agency’s deputy director of kinetic energy intercept programs. “The plan for the Space Based Interceptor Testbed is being defined,” agency spokesman Chris Taylor said yesterday. “We hope to begin work on the testbed in 2004 with an industry day,” he added. Previous efforts to explore space-based weapons were stopped under former President Bill Clinton, according to Defense Daily. At the beginning of the Bush administration, however, missile defense officials began to look into the possibility again. The fiscal 2003 budget includes $30 million to investigate designs of space-based weapons that could intercept a ballistic missile, and the Army Space and Missile Defense Command has also begun a miniature weapon program for use in space, according to Defense Daily. Some observers said they expect international criticism for the effort. “The political fallout from such a decision is likely to be severe,” said Theresa Hitchens, vice president of the Center for Defense Information think tank. “The idea of a Fort Greely in space makes even less sense than the Fort Greely in Alaska. The technologies to test are not there yet and when they are, they’re going to cost billions,” she said. “It also makes no sense to begin planning a space-based system prior to the Bush administration’s review of national space policy. Space weaponization is a major controversial issue with almost every other country in the world now calling for a ban on such weaponry,” she added. Officials Want Workable Interceptor Meanwhile, industry officials should project realistic goals and ideas in proposals for a land-based kinetic energy boost-phase interceptor, Missile Defense Agency Director Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish said Wednesday. In the past, the Pentagon has exchanged “winks and nods” with industry officials while working with unreachable goals, Little said. Missile defense officials do not want to pay for the interceptor only to spend additional billions of dollars to correct flaws, Kadish said. The agency plans to distribute a draft request Jan. 7 for proposals on the land-based interceptor’s concept design phase, and officials are scheduled to issue a formal request for proposals Feb. 4, Defense Daily reported. The company that wins the land-based interceptor award will not be eligible for the space-based project, Little said. Kadish warned industry officials that the project might not continue on to the production phase, and that it will be judged against other concepts, including the Airborne Laser (see GSN, Dec. 10; Kerry Gildea, Defense Daily, Dec. 20).
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