The Obama administration's proposal to emphasize battlefield missile defenses over systems for intercepting strategic ballistic missiles would save the nation money while potentially making it more vulnerable to future attack, says a report published yesterday by a Washington-based defense think tank (see GSN, June 2).
(Aug. 13) -
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, left, examines a ground-based missile interceptor silo in June at Fort Greely, Alaska. A report released this week said an Obama administration proposal to deploy no more than 30 of the interceptors could create a defense vulnerability (U.S. Missile Defense Agency photo).
The Defense Department's $9.3 billion missile defense budget request would slash spending by $1.7 billion -- or 16 percent -- from the current funding level, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments analyst Todd Harrison wrote in the report. Still, the missile defense budget remains $4 billion higher than in fiscal 2001, the last funding year settled under the Clinton administration.
Harrison noted particular concern about a proposal to deploy only 30 ground-based interceptors, warning that doing so "with no replacement or replenishment program could result in too few missiles to provide a basic level of protection, especially as these missiles are depleted over time from regular test launches."
The Pentagon request would decrease funds for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system by 35 percent, providing it with $983 million in the fiscal 2010, the report states.
The Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense program would receive $1.1 billion, including $420 million in funds to purchase 26 new interceptors for the system. In the current budget cycle, the program only received one-fourth the procurement funding proposed for the next fiscal year, according to the report.
The sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense program would receive $169 million for acquisitions and $1.7 billion in research, development, test and evaluation funds. The program's total budget would grow by more than 57 percent under the proposal. The administration request also includes $2.2 billion for a new DDG-51 Aegis destroyer.
The Airborne Laser project would receive $187 million, a $214 million decrease from its current funding level. The Obama administration has delayed any decision to acquire a second Airborne Laser aircraft until the prototype plane is more extensively vetted.
The administration proposed eliminating the Multiple Kill Vehicle and Kinetic Energy Interceptor programs.
The budget would provide $1 billion for the Space-Based Infrared System High, a planned satellite network intended to improve the nation's ability to spot ballistic missile launches.
Outside of missile defense efforts, the B-2 bomber program would receive $699 million that would largely support modifications and updates to the country's 20-plane fleet (see GSN, Aug. 3).
The Obama administration requested $17.7 billion for "atomic energy defense activities," largely operated by the Energy Department, including $6.4 billion for nuclear weapons work and $2.1 billion for nonproliferation activities.
The Pentagon requested a total of $668 billion for the next fiscal year, including $130 billion for international military commitments. The poor economic climate and spending in other sectors is likely to limit future expenditures on defense procurement as well as research, development, test and evaluation efforts, Harrison wrote (Diane Barnes, Global Security Newswire, Aug. 13).