United States:  House Appropriations Cuts Some Missile Defense Funding

A House Appropriations subcommittee last week cut millions of dollars from the Bush administration’s request for a variety of missile defense programs but raised funding to procure the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 missile, Aerospace Daily reported yesterday.  The full committee is scheduled to consider the bill today (see GSN, May 8)

In considering the fiscal 2004 defense appropropriations bill, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense boosted PAC-3 procurement funds by $90 million and added almost $23 million to sea-based X-band radar development, a key component of a national missile defense system (see GSN, May 16).

The subcommittee cut the overall White House missile defense request by $193 million.  In its report to the full committee, the subcommitee said Defense Department proposals to develop advanced missile defense technologies expressed concern that “considerable work remains to fully develop, test and deploy current systems.”  The committee cut $150 million from a $301 million request for an advanced missile interceptor.

According to the report, lawmakers cut $76 million from the Bush administration’s Ballistic Missile Defense Systems request.

“It is not clear what activities, levels of effort, or deliverables warrant,” that level of funding, the report says.

Committee members also decreased the $274 million request for the Space Based Radar by $100 million (see GSN, July 18, 2002).

Although the radar’s technology “is worthwhile for a variety of satellite applications, the committee is concerned that the large constellation and associated tasking, exploitation, processing and dissemination (TPED) required to satisfy the SBR goal is ultimately unaffordable,” the report says.

The program could require 20 satellites and $25 billion in funding, Aerospace Daily reported.

The subcommittee supported a House Armed Services Committee proposal to investigate the possibility of a new, advanced bomber aircraft (see GSN, May 8).  According to the report, the subcommittee provided $100 million for the study (Marc Selinger, Aerospace Daily, June 25).

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United States:  Franks to Testify Before Congress on Patriot Friendly Fire Incidents

U.S. Army General Tommy Franks, head of the U.S. Central Command, is expected to testify before Congress on two friendly-fire incidents during the Iraq war that involved the Patriot missile interceptor, Aerospace Daily reported today (see GSN, May 23).

Franks’ testimony may be classified, but an open session on the incidents for reporters is being scheduled in the next several weeks in Washington, said Lt. Gen. Joseph Cosumano, head of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command and the Army Space Command.  The investigations into the two Patriot incidents — the destruction of a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet and a British Tornado, both by Patriots — have examined a number of possibilities, he said.

An investigation was also conducted into an incident wherein a U.S. F-16 fired at a Patriot battery, destroying the system but leaving the crew unharmed, according to Aerospace Daily.  Congress is also expected to be briefed on this incident (Rich Tuttle, Aerospace Daily, June 25).

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Japan:  Tokyo Seeks Domestic Production Rights to PAC-3

Japan’s Defense Agency is planning to ask the United States for permission to produce Patriot Advanced Capability 3 missiles domestically, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, June 23).

The award could go to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which already produces the PAC-2 missile, according to a report today in the Nihon Keizai.  Japan is planning to provide funding next year for a two-layered missile defense system.

“Nothing has been decided about the introduction of the PAC-3 and it is still under study as part of the missile defense program,” a Defense Agency spokesman said.  “Since the Patriot 2 is being made by Mitsubishi, I personally think that it would be difficult for other makers to get (the contract),” the spokesman added.

A Mitsubishi spokesman said the company does not yet have a contract to perform the work.

“The report is very speculative,” the spokesman said.  “We would be grateful if such a license comes to us as we take pride in our missile technologies,” he added (Agence France-Presse, June 24).

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European Plans:  MEADS Offer on Schedule for This Month

A proposal for the development of the multinational Medium Extended Air Defense System will be sent to defense departments on schedule this month, according to the system’s contractors (see GSN, June 9).

“The offer lays an important foundation upon which our customers can base their decision regarding the continuation of this major trans-Atlantic program as it will contain the first reliable estimations concerning the development, acquisition and operating costs,” said Werner Kaltenegger, chief executive of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. and missile-defense firm LFK.  “In addition, the first assemblies will be completed on schedule this year, including the prototype of the new-fire control radar and extensive simulations will be performed to demonstrate the capabilities of the ultra-modern MEADS air defense system,” he added.

The MEADS system is being developed by the United States, Germany and Italy.  Washington is slated to provide 55 percent of the funding, while Berlin and Rome will contribute 28 percent and 17 percent, respectively.

MEADS program officials said the impending offer marks an important step for the program, according to Defense Daily International.

The MEADS program has been adjusted to incorporate the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 missile from U.S. contractor Lockheed Martin.  The international system, however, faces uncertain funding, Defense Daily reported (Defense Daily International, June 20).

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NATO:  U.S. Air Force Space Command Opens New Early Warning Facility

The U.S. Air Force Space Command opened a new facility last week designed to provide early warning of ballistic missile launches to NATO members and other nations (see GSN, June 13).

The opening of the Shared Early Warning System Centralized Distribution Facility at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado marked the transfer of the early warning system from the developmental phase to the operational phase, a command spokeswoman said.  The system will provide missile launch warnings to NATO members, according to a command statement.

The system will also provide launch warnings to “six partner nations and multiple coalition forces,” the spokeswoman said.  While refusing to name the six additional nations, she said the defense secretary’s office would choose which additional countries would be covered by the system (John Bennett, InsideDefense.com, June 23).

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