Sec. 1658. Airborne boost phase defense system
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Congress makes the following findings: To address the growing threat posed by increasingly accurate and longer-ranged ballistic and cruise missiles, the Missile Defense Agency, in collaboration with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the military services, is pursuing a suite of laser technologies that could serve as a cost-effective solution for destroying cruise missiles and ballistic missiles in the boost phase. A successful airborne boost phase defense system could transform United States missile defense capabilities against a broad range of missile threats, and place defense on the winning side of the offense-defense cost-curve.
The Secretary of Defense shall— prioritize technology investments in the Department of Defense to support efforts by the Missile Defense Agency to develop and field an airborne boost phase defense system by fiscal year 2025; ensure that development and fielding of the airborne boost phase defense system supports multiple warfighter missile defense requirements, including, specifically, protection of the homeland and allies against cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, particularly in the boost phase; continue development and fielding of high-energy lasers and high-power microwave systems as part of a layered architecture to defend ships and theater bases against air and cruise missile strikes; encourage collaboration amongst the military services and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency with respect to their high energy laser and directed energy efforts carried out in support of the Missile Defense Agency; and ensure cooperation and coordination between the Missile Defense Agency in its plans to develop an airborne laser and the Air Force in its requirements for unmanned aerial vehicles.
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the efforts of the Department of Defense to develop and deploy an airborne boost phase defense system for missile defense by fiscal year 2025. The report required by paragraph
(1)shall include the following: Such schedules, costs, warfighter requirements, operational concept, constraints, potential alternative boost phase approaches, and other information regarding the efforts described in paragraph
(1)as the Secretary considers appropriate. Analysis of the efforts described in paragraph
(1)with respect to the following cases: A case in which the Department is under no funding constraints with respect to such efforts and progress is based on the state of the technology. A case in which the Department is under funding constraints and the efforts are carried out in accordance with a moderately aggressive schedule and are subject to moderate technical risk. A case in which the Department is under funding constraints and the efforts are carried out in accordance with a less aggressive schedule and are subject to less technical risk. An update on related efforts of the Department to develop high energy lasers and high power microwave systems to defend ships and theater bases against air and cruise missile strikes. Such recommendations as the Secretary may have for legislative or administrative action to enable more rapid fielding of a directed-energy based missile defense system. The report required by paragraph
(1)shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.