Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 7. April 2005 / Time Line April 7, 2005
Version 3.004/07/2005
Missile Defense Program and Fiscal Year 2006 Budget
Lieutenant General Henry A. Obering III, USAF
Director, Missile Defense Agency
Before the Strategic Forces Subcommittee Senate Armed Services
Committee
April 7, 2005
Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee. It is an
honor to be here today to present the Department of Defense's
Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Missile Defense Program and budget. The
Missile Defense Agency mission remains one of developing and
incrementally fielding a joint, integrated, and multilayered
Ballistic Missile Defense system to defend the United States, our
deployed forces, and our allies and friends against ballistic
missiles of all ranges by engaging them in the boost, midcourse,
and terminal phases of flight.
Our program, reflected in the FY 2006 budget submission, is
structured to balance the early fielding elements of this system
with its continued steady improvement through an evolutionary
development and test approach. The budget also balances our
capabilities across an evolving threat spectrum that includes rogue
nations with increasing ballistic missile expertise.
We are requesting $7.8 billion to support our program of work in
fiscal year 2006, which is approximately $1 billion less than the
fiscal year 2005 request. About $1.4 billion covers the continued
fielding and sustainment of our block increments of long-range
ground-based midcourse defense components; our short- to
intermediate-range defense involving Aegis ships with their
interceptors; as well as all of the supporting radars, command,
control, battle management and communication capabilities. About
$6.4 billion will be invested in the development foundation for
continued testing and evolution of the system.
Initial Fielding of Block 2004
Since my predecessor last appeared before this committee, we have
made tremendous progress and have had a number of accomplishments.
We also came up short of our expectations in a few areas.
We stated last year that, by the end of 2004, we would begin
fielding the initial elements of our integrated ballistic missile
defense system. We have met nearly all of our objectives. We have
installed six ground-based interceptors in silos at Fort Greely,
Alaska, and two at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. We
completed the upgrade of the Cobra Dane radar in Alaska and the
modification of six Aegis ships for long-range surveillance and
tracking support. These elements have been fully connected to the
fire control system and are supported by an extensive command,
control, battle management and communications infrastructure. In
addition, we have put in place the required logistics support
infrastructure and support centers.
Completing Block 2004
Today we remain basically on track with interceptor fielding for
the Test Bed. We have recovered from the 2003 propellant accident,
which last year affected the long-range ground-based interceptors
as well as the Aegis Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) and Terminal High
Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, booster production. We should have
ten more interceptors emplaced in Alaska by December of this year.
In October, we received the first Standard Missile-3 [SM-3] for
deployment aboard an Aegis ship. To date, we have five of these
interceptors with a total of eight scheduled to be delivered by the
end of the year. By then, we will also have outfitted two Aegis
cruisers with this engagement capability. So, in addition to
providing surveillance and tracking support to the integrated
ballistic missile defense [BMD] system, Aegis will soon provide a
flexible sea-mobile capability to defeat short- to
intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their midcourse phase.
Our sensor program is also on track. The Beale radar in California
is receiving final software upgrades this spring and will be fully
integrated into the system. We are now testing a transportable
X-band radar, which can be forward-deployed this year to enhance
our surveillance and tracking capabilities. Our most powerful
sensor capability, the Sea-Based X-band Radar (SBX) will be on
station, ported in Adak, Alaska, by December. This radar is so
capable that, if it were sitting in Chesapeake Bay, it could detect
a baseball-sized object in space over San Francisco. This
sea-mobile midcourse radar will allow us to increase the complexity
of our tests by enabling different intercept geometries. And when
we deploy it in the Pacific Ocean, it also will have an inherent
operational capability against threats from Asia. Finally, the RAF
Fylingdales early warning radar in the United Kingdom will be fully
integrated for missile defense purposes by early 2006 and will
provide the initial sensor coverage needed against Middle East
threats.
BMD elements will remain part of the system Test Bed even after we
field them for initial capability. However, the Missile Defense
Agency [MDA] does not operate the BMD system. Our job is to provide
a militarily useful capability to the warfighter. Because the BMD
system is integrated and involves different Services, the MDA will
continue to manage system configuration to ensure adequate
integration of new components and elements and the continued smooth
operation of the system.
For these reasons, Congress mandated the Agency to maintain
configuration control over PAC-3 and the Medium Extended Air
Defense System (MEADS) following their transfer to the Army.
Regarding the transition of the system elements, we use several
models. Each transition, to include time and method of transfer,
will be unique. In some cases, it may not be appropriate to
transfer a BMD system element to a Service. The Sea-Based X-band
Radar, for example, will likely remain a Missile Defense Agency
Test Bed asset and be made available for operational use as
appropriate. In other words, the Services and the Missile Defense
Agency will have shared responsibilities and will continue to work
with the Secretary of Defense, the Services, and the Component
Commanders to arrange appropriate element transfer on a
case-by-case basis.
Building Confidence through Spiral Testing
In FY 2006, we are adding new test objectives and using more
complex scenarios. Also, war fighter participation will grow. We
plan to execute four flight tests using the long-range interceptor
under a variety of flight conditions and, for the first time, use
tracking data from the sea-based X-band radar.
In terms of our sea-based midcourse defense element, this past
February, we successfully used a U.S. Navy Aegis cruiser to engage
a short-range target ballistic missile. This test marked the first
use of an operationally configured Aegis SM-3 interceptor. In the
last three Aegis ballistic missile defense intercept flight tests,
we incrementally ratcheted up the degree of realism and reduced
testing limitations to the point where we did not notify the
operational ship's crew of the target launch time and they were
forced to react to a dynamic situation. This year, we will conduct
two more tests using Aegis as the primary engagement platform. In
FY 2006, Aegis ballistic missile defense will use upgraded software
and an advanced version of the SM-3 interceptor to engage a variety
of short- and medium-range targets, including targets with
separating warheads. We also plan to work with Japan to test the
engagement performance of the SM-3 nosecone developed in the
U.S./Japan Cooperative Research project.
Four Missile Defense Integration Exercises involving warfighter
personnel will test hardware and software in the integrated system
configuration to demonstrate system interoperability. War games
also are an integral part of concept of operations development and
validation. Four integrated missile defense wargames in FY 2006
will collect data to support characterization, verification, and
assessment of the ballistic missile defense system with respect to
operator-in-the-loop planning and the exchange of information in
the system required for successful development and system
operation.
In addition to having laid out a very ambitious test plan, we are
working hand-in-hand with the warfighter community and the
independent testing community. We have more than one hundred people
from the test community embedded in our program activities, and
they are active in all phases of test planning, execution, and
post-test analysis. We meet with them at the senior level on a
weekly basis, and they help us develop and approve our test plans.
All data from testing is available to all parties through a Joint
Analysis Team and are used to conduct independent assessments of
the system.
The Missile Defense Agency and Director, Operational Test &
Evaluation have completed and jointly approved an Integrated Master
Test Plan, effective through 2007. The plan includes tests that
combine developmental and operational testing to reduce costs and
increase testing efficiency. Within our range safety constraints,
we are committed to increasing the operational aspects as I stated
earlier. This accumulated knowledge helps inform the assessment of
operational readiness.
Building the Next Increment -- Block 2006
In building the Ballistic Missile Defense program of work within
the top line budget reductions I mentioned earlier, we followed
several guiding principles. To keep ahead of the rogue nation
threats, we recognized the need to continue holding to our fielding
commitments to the President for Blocks 2004 and 2006, including
investment in the necessary logistics support. We also knew that we
must prepare for asymmetric (e.g., the threat from off-shore
launches) and emerging threat possibilities as well in our fielding
and development plans.
In executing our program we are following a strategy to retain
alternative development paths until capability is proven -- a
knowledge-based funding approach. This is a key concept in how we
are executing our development program. We have structured the
program to make decisions as to what we will and will not fund
based upon the proven success of each program element. The approach
involves tradeoffs to address sufficiency of defensive layers --
boost, midcourse, terminal; diversity of basing modes -- land, sea,
air and space; and considerations of technical, schedule and cost
performance.
The funding request for FY 2006 will develop and field the next
increment of missile defense capability to improve protection of
the United States from the Middle East, expand coverage to allies
and friends, improve our capability against short-range threats,
and increase the resistance of the integrated system to
countermeasures. We are beginning to lay in more mobile, flexible
interceptors and associated sensors to meet threats posed from
unanticipated launch locations, including threats launched off our
coasts.
For midcourse capability against the long-range threat, the
Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) element budget request is
about $2.3 billion for FY 2006 to cover continued development,
ground and flight testing, fielding and support. This request
includes up to ten additional ground-based interceptors, their
silos and associated support equipment and facilities as well as
the long-lead items for the next increment. It also continues the
upgrade of the Thule radar station in Greenland.
To address the short- to intermediate-range threat, we are
requesting approximately $1.9 billion to continue development and
testing of our sea-based midcourse capability, or Aegis BMD, and
our land-based THAAD element. We will continue purchases of the SM-
3 interceptor and the upgrading of Aegis ships to perform the BMD
mission. By the end of 2007 we should have up to 28 SM-3
interceptors on three Aegis cruisers and eight Aegis destroyers.
This engagement capability will improve our ability to defend our
deployed troops and our friends and allies. Six additional
destroyers, for a total of 17 Aegis ships, will be capable of
performing the surveillance and track mission.
THAAD flight testing begins this year with controlled flight tests
as well as radar and seeker characterization tests and will
continue into FY 2006, when we will conduct the first high
endo-atmospheric intercept test. We are working toward fielding the
first THAAD unit in the 2008-2009 timeframe with a second unit
available in 2011.
We will continue to roll out sensors that we will net together to
detect and track threat targets and improve discrimination of the
target suite in different phases of flight. In 2007, we will deploy
a second forward-based X-band radar. We are working towards a 2007
launch of two Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) test
bed satellites. These test bed satellites will demonstrate closing
the fire control loop and the value of STSS tracking data. We are
requesting approximately $521 million in FY 2006 to execute this
STSS and BMDS Radar work.
All of these system elements must be built on a solid command,
control, battle management and communications foundation that spans
thousands of miles, multiple time zones, hundreds of kilometers in
space and several Combatant Commands. This foundation allows us to
mix and match sensors, weapons and command centers to dramatically
expand our detection and engagement capabilities over that achieved
by the system's elements operating individually. In fact, without
this foundation we cannot execute our basic mission. That is why
the Command, Control, Battle Management and Communications program
is so vital to the success of our integrated capability.
Building a single integrated system of layered defenses has forced
us to transition our thinking to become more system-centric. We
established the Missile Defense National Team to solve the
demanding technical problems involved in this unprecedented
undertaking. No single contractor or government office has all the
expertise needed to design and engineer an integrated and properly
configured BMD system. The National Team brings together the best,
most experienced people from the military and civilian government
work forces, industry, and the federal laboratories to work
aggressively and collaboratively on one of the nation's top
priorities. However, integrating the existing elements of the
Ballistic Missile Defense System proved to be very challenging.
Today, we have streamlined the team's activities and realigned
their priorities to focus on providing the detailed systems
engineering needed for a truly integrated capability. The team has
now gained traction and is leading the way to building the system
this nation will need for the future.
Moving Toward the Future -- Block 2008 and Beyond
There is no silver bullet in missile defense, and strategic
uncertainty could surprise us tomorrow with a more capable
adversary. So it is important to continue our aggressive parallel
paths approach as we build this integrated, multilayered defensive
system. There are several important development efforts funded in
this budget.
We are preserving decision flexibility with respect to our boost
phase programs until we understand what engagement capabilities
they can offer. We have requested approximately $680 million for
these activities in FY 2006.
In FY 2006 we are beginning the integration of the high-power laser
component of the Airborne Laser (ABL) into the first ABL weapon
system test bed and will initiate ground-testing. Following that we
will integrate the high-power laser into the aircraft and conduct a
campaign of flight tests, including lethal shoot-down of a series
of targets. We still have many technical challenges with the
Airborne Laser, but with the recent achievements of first light and
first flight of the aircraft with its beam control/fire control
system, I am pleased with where we are today. We have proven again
that we can generate the power and photons necessary to have an
effective directed energy capability. An operational Airborne Laser
could provide a valuable boost phase defense capability against
missiles of all ranges. The revolutionary potential of this
technology is so significant, that it is worth both the investment
and our patience.
We undertook the Kinetic Energy Interceptor boost-phase effort in
response to a 2002 Defense Science Board Summer Study
recommendation to develop a terrestrial-based boost phase
interceptor as an alternative to the high-risk Airborne Laser
development effort. We will not know for two or three years,
however, whether either of these programs will be technically
viable. With the recent successes we have had with ABL, we are now
able to fine-tune our boost-phase development work to better align
it with our longer-term missile defense strategy of building a
layered defense capability that has greater flexibility and
mobility.
We have established the Airborne Laser as the primary boost phase
defense element. We are reducing our FY 2006 funding request for
the KEI effort and have restructured that activity, building in a
one-year delay, in order to focus near-term efforts on
demonstrating key capabilities and reduce development risks. We
restructured the Kinetic Energy Interceptor activity as risk
mitigation for the Airborne Laser and focused it on development of
a land-based mobile, high-acceleration booster. It has always been
our view that the KEI booster, which is envisioned as a flexible
and high-performance booster capable of defending large areas,
could be used as part of an affordable, competitive next-generation
replacement for our midcourse or even terminal interceptors.
Decisions on sea-based capability and international participation
in this effort have been deferred until the basic KEI technologies
have been demonstrated. The restructured Kinetic Energy Interceptor
activity will emphasize critical technology demonstrations and
development of a mobile, flexible, land-based ascent and midcourse
engagement capability around 2011, with a potential sea-based
capability by 2013. A successful KEI mobile missile defense
capability also could improve protection of our allies and
friends.
We are requesting $82 million in FY 2006 to continue development of
the Multiple Kill Vehicle (MKV). MKV is a generational upgrade to
ground-based midcourse interceptors to increase their effectiveness
in the presence of countermeasures. We look forward to the first
intercept attempt using MKV sometime in 2008.
International Participation
Interest in missile defense among foreign governments and industry
has continued to rise. We have been working closely with a number
of allies to forge international partnerships that will make
missile defense a key element of our security relationships around
the world.
The Government of Japan is proceeding with the acquisition of a
multilayered BMD system, basing its initial capability on upgrades
of its Aegis destroyers and acquisition of the Aegis SM-3 missile.
We have worked closely with Japan since 1999 to design and develop
advanced components for the SM-3 missile. This project will
culminate in flight tests in 2005 and 2006. In addition, Japan and
other allied nations are upgrading their Patriot fire units with
PAC-3 missiles and improved ground support equipment. This past
December we signed a BMD framework Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) with Japan to expand our cooperative missile defense
activities.
We have signed three agreements over the past two years with the
United Kingdom, a BMD framework MOU and two annexes. In addition to
the Fylingdales radar development and integration activities this
year, we also agreed to continue cooperation in technical areas of
mutual interest.
This past summer we signed a BMD framework MOU with our Australian
partners. This agreement will expand cooperative development work
on sensors and build on our long-standing defense relationship with
Australia. We also are negotiating a Research, Development, Test
and Evaluation annex to the MOU to enable collaborative work on
specific projects, including: high frequency over-the-horizon
radar, track fusion and filtering, distributed aperture radar
experiments, and modeling and simulation.
We have worked through negotiations with Denmark and the Greenland
Home Rule Government to upgrade the radar at Thule, which will play
an important role in the system by giving us an early track on
hostile missiles. We also have been in sensor discussions with
several allies located in or near regions where the threat of
ballistic missile use is high.
Our North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) partners have
initiated a feasibility study for protection of NATO territory and
population against ballistic missile attacks, which builds upon
ongoing work to define and develop a NATO capability for protection
of deployed forces.
We are continuing work with Israel to implement the Arrow System
Improvement Program and enhance its missile defense capability to
defeat the longer-range ballistic missile threats emerging in the
Middle East. We also have established a capability in the United
States to co-produce components of the Arrow interceptor missile,
which will help Israel meet its defense requirements more quickly
and maintain the U.S. industrial work share.
We are intent on continuing U.S.-Russian collaboration and are now
working on the development of software that will be used to support
the ongoing U.S.-Russian Theater Missile Defense exercise program.
A proposal for target missiles and radar cooperation is being
discussed within the U.S.-Russian Federation Missile Defense
Working Group.
04/07/2005
CONTRACTS from the United States Department of
Defense
KCI Construction Inc., Afton, Mo., was awarded on March 31, 2005, a
$13,352,535 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a
chemical, biological, radiological, and
nuclear training building. Work will be performed at Fort
Leonard Wood, Mo., and is expected to be completed by March 31,
2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. There were an unknown number of bids solicited via the
World Wide Web on Jan. 17, 2005, and four bids were received. The
U.S. Army Engineer District, Kansas City, Mo., is the contracting
activity (W912DQ-05-C-0011).
Electric Boat, Groton, Conn., is being awarded an $8,000,000
limitation of funds modification to previously awarded contract
(N00140-02-C-K009) for intermediate and depot level overhaul,
repair and modernization services to the Naval Submarine Support
Facility New London, Groton, Conn. Work will be performed in
Groton, Conn., and work is expected to be completed June 2005.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal
year. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Norfolk, Philadelphia
Detachment is the contracting activity.
MacAulay-Brown, Dayton, Ohio, is being awarded a $4,054,270
indefinite delivery/Indefinite quantity, cost-plus award-fee and
cost reimbursement contract modification to provide a wide range of
diverse non-engineering, technical and acquisition management
support required in the acquisition, development, production, and
support of various equipment and weapon systems within the Air
Armament Center and other organizations at Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla. This effort supports foreign military sales to Australia,
Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Israel, Korea, Netherlands,
Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, and United Arab Emirates. Total
funds have been obligated. This work will be complete by September
2005. The Headquarters Air Armament Center, Eglin Air Force Base,
Fla., is the contracting activity (F08635-00-C-0040, P00038).
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