Sec. 1611. Homeland ballistic missile defense
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/bill/113/s/2410/pcs/section-1611·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress makes the following findings: The United States has deployed the Ground-based Midcourse Defense
(GMD)system, with 30 Ground-Based Interceptors
(GBIs)currently in Alaska and California, for defense of the United States homeland against the threat of limited ballistic missile attack from nations such as North Korea and Iran. The system has experienced several flight test failures since 2010 involving the deployed Capability Enhancement-I and Capability Enhancement-II Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicles (EKVs), and the Missile Defense Agency plans to conduct an intercept flight test in the summer of 2014 to demonstrate corrections to the kill vehicles. The Department of Defense is taking, and planning to take, numerous actions to improve United States homeland ballistic missile defense capabilities over the next decade to keep pace with evolving ballistic missile threats, including the following key actions: Deployment of 14 additional Ground-Based Interceptors in Alaska by the end of 2017. Improvement of the sensor network that supports homeland ballistic missile defense, including deployment of a new Long-Range Discriminating Radar in Alaska. Investment in improvements to the discrimination capabilities needed to improve the operational effectiveness and efficiency of the homeland ballistic missile defense system. Re-design of the Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle to increase significantly its performance, reliability, cost-effectiveness, and affordability. Design and development of a Next Generation Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle that will incorporate new technologies and the potential for defeating multiple threat objects with individual interceptors. It is the sense of Congress that— it is a national priority to defend the United States homeland against the threat of limited ballistic missile attack from North Korea and Iran; although the currently deployed Ground-based Midcourse Defense system provides protection of the entire United States homeland, including the East Coast, against the threat of limited ballistic missile attack from North Korea and Iran, this capability needs to be improved to meet evolving ballistic missile threats; the initial step in this process of improvement is to correct the problems that caused the flight test failures with the current kill vehicles, and to improve the reliability of the deployed Ground-Based Interceptor fleet; as indicated by senior Department of Defense officials, investments to enhance homeland defense sensor and discrimination capabilities are essential to improve the operational effectiveness and shot doctrine of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system; given limitations with the currently deployed Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicles, it is important to re-design the Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle using a rigorous acquisition approach, including realistic testing, that can achieve a demonstrated capability as soon as practicable using sound acquisition principles and practices; and in order to stay ahead of evolving ballistic missile threats, the Department should design the Next Generation Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle to take full advantage of improvements in sensors, discrimination, kill assessment, battle management, and command and control, including the potential to engage multiple objects. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report setting forth the status of current and planned efforts to improve the homeland ballistic missile defense capability of the United States. The report required under paragraph
(1)shall include the following: A description of the status of efforts to correct the problems that caused the flight test failures of the Capability Enhancement-I and Capability Enhancement-II Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicles. A description of the status of efforts to field the additional 14 Ground-Based Interceptors planned for deployment at Fort Greely, Alaska, including the status of the refurbishment of Missile Field 1 at Fort Greely, and the operational impact of the additional interceptors. A description of the plans and progress toward improving the capability, reliability, and availability of fielded Ground-Based Interceptors, including progress toward improving the capabilities of Ground-Based Interceptors deployed with upgraded Capability Enhancement-I and Capability Enhancement-II Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicles. A description of the planned improvements to homeland ballistic missile defense sensor and discrimination capabilities, including an assessment of the expected operational benefits of such improvements to homeland ballistic missile defense. A description of the plans and efforts to redesign, develop, test, and field the Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, and an explanation of its expected improvements in capability, cost-effectiveness, reliability, maintainability, and producibility. A description of the plans for developing, testing, and fielding the Next Generation Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle, and an explanation of how the anticipated capabilities are intended to help keep pace with evolving ballistic missile threats. Any other matters the Secretary considers appropriate. The report required under paragraph
(1)shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.