House Shifts $30 Million From Space-Based Interceptors To Airborne Laser

Aerospace Daily | June 28, 2002 | Marc Selinger

[Stand Watch Listen]

The House approved its version of the fiscal 2003 defense appropriations bill June 27 after voting to shift $30 million from the Missile Defense Agency's space-based interceptor program to the agency's Airborne Laser (ABL).

Also on June 27, the Senate passed its version of the FY '03 defense authorization bill after approving an amendment requiring the Defense Department to give Congress a report within 120 days of each flight test of the Ground- based Midcourse missile defense system. The Senate also voted late June 26 to ban research, development and deployment of nuclear-tipped interceptors for missile defense.

The House amendment on missile defense restored half of the $60 million that the House Appropri-ations Committee cut June 24 from the Bush Administration's $598 million request for the ABL. Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.), who offered the amendment, said the ABL program needs the restored funds to buy long-lead items essential to keeping its testing program on track.

The ABL is "the most promising and realistic program to intercept missiles in the boost phase," Spratt wrote in a letter urging colleagues to support his amendment. "Restoring this $30 million cut will keep the ABL program on schedule through the rigorous testing we need to see whether it can pass muster."

Spratt's amendment also reduced funding for space-based interceptors from $44.4 million to $14.4 million. The Appropriations Committee had already cut $10 million from the $54.4 million request for space-based interceptors, but Spratt said the committee still left too much money for a program that has little chance of working anytime soon.

The House figures will have to be reconciled with the Senate, which has not begun working on the defense appropriations bill.

The House defeated an amendment by Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.) to eliminate all funding for space-based interceptors. The House also rejected a Tierney proposal to cut $121.8 million from the planned Pacific test bed for missile defense.

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) wrote potential amendments to cut funding for the Air Force F-22 fighter and Army Comanche helicopter but did not offer them on the House floor. He told The DAILY that he was tied up with other legislative matters and he believes many of his concerns about the two programs are recognized in the Appropriations Committee report accompanying the bill.

In the Senate, the amendment requiring reports on missile defense tests came in response to complaints that it is becoming harder to get information on DOD's missile defense programs. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), who proposed the amendment, cited MDA's recent decision to not release specifics about the targets or countermeasures used in future tests of the Ground-based Midcourse system.

"There is a disturbing trend by [MDA], which goes well beyond concerns about security, to deny Congress and the American people basic information on how billions of dollars are being spent on missile defense," Reed said. "This amendment requires Congress to be kept informed on the performance of this very expensive system."

The amendment on nuclear-tipped interceptors is designed to block plans by the Defense Science Board to study whether nuclear warheads should be used to destroy incoming missiles (DAILY, April 12). Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who jointly offered the amendment, said such interceptors could spread nuclear fallout on the U.S. or its allies.

The Senate amendments will have to be reconciled with the House-passed version of the defense authorization bill, which does not contain similar provisions. In fact, the report accompanying the House bill says the examination of nuclear-armed interceptors and other options for missile defense is a "prudent step."

-- Marc Selinger

[guitfiddlist]

House Shifts $30 Million From Space-Based Interceptors To Airborne Laser

That'll just about handle the coffe-maker on the 747 platform.

[DETAILER]

IMHO, the airborne laser is a great idea, if it works right.
We could have enough of them to keep 24 hour watch off the shores of any "problem" countries, and if they launch anything, we just knock it back down on top of them. Sounds great to me.

[demlosers]

Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who jointly offered the amendment, said such interceptors could spread nuclear fallout on the U.S. or its allies.

Fallout? Hey stupid Congress critters! Fallout is when dirt is kick up into the atmosphere and FALLs back to the earth! That does not happen with ATMOSPHERIC interceptors! Gee, are we dumb, but that goes without saying when Congress is the subject.