Sec. 1235. Missile defense cooperation

344 words·~2 min read·/bill/113/hr/4435/rh/section-1235

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It is the sense of Congress that— Admiral Samuel Locklear, Commander of the United States Pacific Command, testified before the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives on March 5, 2014, that in the spring of 2013, North Korea conducted another underground nuclear test, threatened the use of a nuclear weapon against the United States, and concurrently conducted a mobile missile deployment of an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile, reportedly capable of ranging our western most U.S. territory in the Pacific. ;

General Curtis Scaparrotti, Commander of the United States Forces Korea, testified before such committee on April 2, 2014, that CFC [Combined Forces Command] is placing special emphasis on missile defense, not only in terms of systems and capabilities, but also with regard to implementing an Alliance counter-missile strategy required for our combined defense. ; and increased emphasis and cooperation on missile defense among the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, enhances the security of allies of the United States in Northeast Asia, increases the defense of forward-based forces of the United States, and enhances the protection of the United States.

The Secretary of Defense shall conduct an assessment to identify opportunities for increasing missile defense cooperation among the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, and to evaluate options for short-range missile, rocket, and artillery defense capabilities. The assessment under subsection

(b)shall include the following: Candidate areas for increasing missile defense cooperation, including greater information sharing, systems integration, and joint operations. Potential challenges and limitations to enabling such cooperation and plans for mitigating such challenges and limitations. An assessment of the utility of short-range missile defense and counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar system capabilities, including with respect to— the requirements for such capabilities to meet operational and contingency plan requirements in Northeast Asia; cost, schedule, and availability; technology maturity and risk; and consideration of alternatives. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on the assessment under subsection (b).