Bush seeks to bypass weapons system tests; Wants missile defense deployed by 2004 (working or not)

Boston Globe / LA Times ^

[RCW2001]

ASHINGTON - The Bush administration is proposing to exempt the Pentagon's controversial missile defense system from the real-world operational testing legally required of every new weapons system so that it can be deployed by 2004.

Buried in President Bush's 2004 budget, in dry, bureaucratic language, is a request to rewrite a law designed to prevent the production and fielding of weapons systems that don't work. If the provision is enacted, it would be the first time a major weapons system was formally exempted from the testing requirement.

The proposal follows administration moves to bypass congressional reporting and oversight requirements in order to accelerate development of a national missile defense system.

[zarf]

Obviously, they have plans for North Korea.

[walkingdead]

Well we can either watch a missle coming in and swat at it with flyswatters, or we can shoot at it with an under tested system..... I think I'll take the under tested system. Sure would like it to be 100%, but I'll take 50% over 0% anyday.

[WaveThatFlag]

I think I'll take the under tested system. Sure would like it to be 100%, but I'll take 50% over 0% anyday.

And the mere presence of a system is in itself a deterrent. Isn't NK even less likely to use one of its few missles is we might be able to blow it up before it gets to us?

[madison46]

Yep. Such a system will defenitely put the 2-5 nuker countries in a bind. They mess with our interests, we can still fight them and they may not be able to touch us without being obliterated themselves.

Article couple years ago explained how this was a Foregin Polciy ENABLER. Wish I could find it again. Anyone?

[PISANO]

Playing catch-up after 8 years of oval office bj's, selling nuclear secrets to China, denuding the CIA and dismantling the entire defense department, GW is doing all he can to protect and defend.

[eureka!]

"in dry, bureaucratic language"

As opposed to the other wondrous prose that describes the pork inserted there by Byrd and his ilk...

[backhoe]

Playing catch-up after 8 years of oval office bj's, selling nuclear secrets to China, denuding the CIA and dismantling the entire defense department, GW is doing all he can to protect and defend.

Precisely... besides, there are some good systems out there already tested & working:

-Israel's Arrow Anti-Missile System and the THEL...--

General info:

-Links for Missile Defense- Nuke News--

[My2Cents]

Sounds like we go after NK in 2004.

[WaveThatFlag]

Absolutely, for the 2-5 nuke countries, the fact that we have something that MIGHT work becomes a huge deterrent. And then you also have to remember that they are sort of in the same boat. Kim also has to come to terms with the fact any missle he fires has a fairly high probablity of blowing up on the launchpad anyway.

[jpthomas]

This article is all wet. Other systems have been deployed without Operational Test and Evaluation and only very limited developmental testing. The most famous in recent memory was the GBU-28 "Bunker Buster":

The GBU 28 "Bunker Buster" was put together in record time to support targeting of the Iraqi hardened command bunker by adapting existing materiel. The GBU-28 was not even in the early stages of research when Kuwait was invaded. The USAF asked industry for ideas in the week after combat operations started. Work on the bomb was conducted in research laboratories including the the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate located at Eglin AFB, Florida and the Watervliet Armory in New York. The bomb was fabricated starting on 1 February, using surplus 8-inch artillery tubes as bomb casings because of their strength and weight. The official go-ahead for the project was issued on 14 February, and explosives for the initial units were hand-loaded by laboratory personnel into a bomb body that was partially buried upright in the ground. The first two units were delivered to the USAF on 16 and 17 February, and the first flight to test the guidance software and fin configuration was conducted on 20 February. These tests were successful and the program proceeded with a contract let on 22 February. A sled test on 26 February proved that the bomb could penetrate over 20 feet of concrete, while an earlier flight test had demonstrated the bomb's ability to penetrate more than 100 feet of earth. The first two operational bombs were delivered to the theater on 27 February.

[hchutch]

Somehow, I think the Alaska interceptors won't be the only option. There will be a couple of prototype airborne lasers, and we probably will be trying to take out as many NK missiles as we can in the first night.

Silos can be obvious if you know what to look for.

[Cicero]

We need some kind of defense against China, North Korea, and any of the rogue states they sell missiles and nukes to.

Even if the damn things don't work right away, at least the guidance and launching systems will be in place and ready to work when they manage to fix the missiles. The time window is probably pretty critical at this point, after six years during which clinton stirred up hornets' nests all over the world and then failed to do anything about them.

[uncbob]

Even if the damn things don't work right away, at least the guidance and launching systems will be in place and ready to work when they manage to fix the missiles. The time window is probably pretty critical at this point, after six years during which clinton stirred up hornets' nests all over the world and then failed to do anything about them.

I just wish the GOP leadership would start harping on this

At least talk radio should start BIG TIME

[Clarinet_King]

Isn't NK even less likely to use one of its few missles is we might be able to blow it up before it gets to us? Well as stupid as im led to believe the North Koreans are, they may just try to fire one at us just to see if the system works.

[Search4Truth]

That's the spirit, damn the topedoes, full speed ahead.

Actually, performing R&D combined with deployment is a viable way to run a project. It's just a different kind of project methology. It will just require a lot of prototyping.

So the question then become, does NK feel lucky?

[NonValueAdded]

Absolutely, for the 2-5 nuke countries, the fact that we have something that MIGHT work becomes a huge deterrent.

You nailed it, WaveThatFlag. Deterrence is just as important as full operational accuracy (at least until the bird is in the air).

I still would like to see us deploy first for those states whose Senators supported SDI. I'll bet there are a lot of wet pants now that NK just launched one into the Sea of Japan. Let's remind everybody of who delayed the original forward-thinking program of Reagan and how we wouldn't be worried about fielding a non-working model right now.

[WaveThatFlag]

I still would like to see us deploy first for those states whose Senators supported SDI.

Good idea. -Hey wait a minute!!! I live in NY & I would have voted for Rick Lazio (I also lived in Palm Beach County where I felt my vote had a better chance of counting. While I'm guessing d'Amato supported SDI as proposed by Ronald Regan, I betting Moynihan did not. Obviously Schumer and Clinton did not. Where does that leave NY?

Actually since none of our enemies have missles hitting NY, I guess that's a moot point.

[RightWhale]

-world operational testing legally required of every new weapons system

This is nonsense. Testing might be required by the contract for a given weapons system, but the only real-world testing that means anything is operational deployment.