The U.S. House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces yesterday approved the fiscal 2004 defense authorization bill, approving the entire Bush administration request for ballistic missile defense but redirecting some funds to bolster theater missile defense systems, according to Aerospace Daily.

The subcommittee fully authorized the $9.1 billion administration request, according to Aerospace Daily.  It also transferred more than $280 million from “longer term payoff” programs, such as boost-phase missile defense systems, to “more near-term requirements, particularly in the area of theater missile defense,” according to subcommittee Chairman Terry Everett (R-Ala.).

The bill would add funds for Patriot missile interceptors, including $90 million to purchase 30 more Patriot Advanced Capability 3 interceptors than the 108 the White House had requested (see GSN, April 24).  The bill would also add almost $80 million for PAC-3 research and development, $10 million for PAC-2 research and $36 million to upgrade Patriot radar and communication systems.

The subcommittee approved an additional $37 million to accelerate the testing of the Theater High Altitude Area Defense system and fully funded the $626 million request for the Airborne Laser program, according to Aerospace Daily (see GSN, April 25).  In addition, the bill contains more than $20 million in additional funding to enhance the sea-based X-band radar the Missile Defense Agency is developing for use in a planned test bed to be deployed in the Pacific Ocean (see GSN, March 11). 

To cover the increases, the subcommittee cut funding to several programs, including a $150 million reduction to the administration’s $301 million request to fund the development of ground-, sea- and space-based boost-phase missile interceptors, Aerospace Daily reported (Marc Selinger, Aerospace Daily, May 8).

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