Pentagon Asks for $9.1 Billion in Missile Defense Funding
In a budget request just shy of $380 billion, the Defense Department
is asking to spend $9.1 billion on missile defense in fiscal year
2004, according to a February 3 presentation by a top Pentagon official.
Last February, the Pentagon sought $7.8 billion in missile defense
funding.
Pending congressional approval, the majority of this year’s
missile defense request—$7.7 billion—would go the Pentagon’s
Missile Defense Agency (MDA), which oversees missile defense research
and development. The other $1.4 billion would fund the Army’s
procurement of 108 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptors for
defending against short- and medium-range ballistic missiles and
further development of the Medium Extended Air Defense System with
Germany and Italy.
Not included in the $9.1 billion figure is $617 million for the
Air Force’s Space-Based Infrared System-high program (SBIRS-high),
which comprises satellites for detecting worldwide ballistic missile
launches. A complementary satellite system—Space-Based Infrared
System-low (SBIRS-low)—had been under development by MDA, but
that system was restructured over the past year and renamed the
Space Tracking and Surveillance System, which remains an MDA project.
Included in the MDA request is $301 million to begin exploring
a new multi-use interceptor that could be deployed on both ships
and mobile land platforms with the capability to intercept missiles
during the boost phase—the few minutes after launch when the
rocket engines are still firing. MDA, however, estimates that such
interceptors will not be available for field testing until at least
2008 or later.
More immediate, and comprising $3.6 billion of the MDA budget,
is funding for land- and sea-based interceptors and sensors to fulfill
President George W. Bush’s December 2002 order to begin deploying
initial missile defense systems in 2004. (See
ACT, January/February 2003.) The aim is to have as many
as 10 ground-based interceptors deployed in Alaska and California
by the end of 2004 and an additional 10 within the next year.
The 20 ground-based interceptors, which are designed to counter
long-range ballistic missile warheads traveling through space, are
to be complemented by 20 sea-based interceptors aboard three ships.
These sea-based interceptors, however, are only designed to destroy
short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Also, 15 additional
ships will receive software upgrades to permit them to better track
ballistic missiles.
MDA is seeking $810 million to research systems to destroy warheads
during the final moments before their impact, the stage of flight
known as the terminal phase. Much of this funding would be dedicated
to the Theater High Altitude Area Defense system, which is currently
scheduled to resume flight tests in late 2004 after last being flight-tested
in 1999.
Another $626 million of the MDA budget would be devoted to the
Airborne Laser project, designed to shoot down missiles in their
boost phase. MDA would also receive $438 million for developing
various sensors, such as radars. Developing targets for intercept
testing and other testing activities are budgeted to receive $611
million.
Over the past two years, Congress appropriated roughly $500 million
and $400 million less than what the Pentagon requested for missile
defense spending. Democratic legislators, who are more skeptical
and critical of missile defenses than their Republican colleagues,
might target any space-based systems funding as an area in which
to try to exact cuts.
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