April 27, 2006 :: The Heritage Foundation :: Analysis
Baker Spring of the Heritage Foundation argues that U.S. missile defense is “very thin and needs to be strengthened.” The current, limited, defensive shield of eleven Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) interceptors in Alaska and California and less than ten Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors on Aegis warships are not enough to adequately defend against an attack from Iran or North Korea. Congress must make the following changes to its missile defense budget for FY 2007: (1) increase funding for the GMD system by $200 million to accelerate testing and deployment; (2) increase funding for the SM-3 by $100 million to support the deployment of 100 interceptors by 2011; (3) cut funding for the Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI) program by 50 percent; (4) reduce funding for miscellaneous BMD projects by $100 million and redirect the funds to near-term deployment; and (5) reallocate resources to new technologies previously banned by the ABM Treaty, such as space-based interceptors.
Congress, as it undertakes the task of drafting the fiscal year (FY) 2007 Defense Authorization bill, must recognize that this defense is very thin and needs to be strengthened. It can do so by making several significant changes in the missile defense budget, such as adding funds to accelerate the concurrent testing and operation program for the long-range missile defense interceptors in Alaska and California and to improve and expand the sea-based interceptors on the Navy’s AEGIS ships. Looking to the future, Congress should direct the Agency to start serious work on placing missile defense interceptors in space.
…The Bush Administration must finally break the missile defense program free from the enduring effects of the ABM Treaty. This means giving the missile defense interceptors already in the field and those soon to be fielded as much operational capability as possible. It also means moving missile defenses where they will be most effective, space. By adjusting missile defense funding for FY 2007 and making clear its intentions for future years, Congress can prod the Administration in this direction.
(Article)
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