Sec. 1685. Defense of Hawaii from North Korean ballistic missile attack
622 words·~3 min read·
/bill/115/hr/2810/eh/section-1685A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: The North Korean ballistic missile threat to the United States, including Hawaii, is growing rapidly. Since Kim Jong-un took power in 2012, North Korea has conducted 78 ballistic missile tests, of which 61 are considered to have been successful. The existing ballistic missile defense protection for Hawaii, including the ground-based midcourse defense system in Alaska, and the sea-based x-band radar, provide limited ballistic missile defense capabilities today.
Through use of existing ballistic missile defense assets, including AN/TPY–2 radars and the Aegis Ashore Site located on the Pacific Missile Range Facility, the ballistic missile defense of Hawaii could benefit from a near-term improvement by adding a layer of defense. The proposed program of record for a medium range discriminating radar to be fully mission capable after 2023 would leave the defense of Hawaii dependent only on the ground-based midcourse defense system in Alaska, and the sea-based x-band radar until that time, while the threat to the United States, including Hawaii, from North Korean ballistic missiles continues to grow.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 ( Public Law 114–328 ) required that the Missile Defense Agency plan to provide additional ballistic missile defense sensor coverage for the defense of Hawaii and field such radar or equivalent sensor by not later than December 31, 2021 . When asked at a hearing of the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives on April 26, 2017, about the threat to Hawaii from North Korean ballistic missiles, the Commander of the United States Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris, testified that Kim Jong-un is clearly in a position to threaten Hawaii today…I believe that our ballistic missile (defense) architecture is sufficient to protect Hawaii today.
But it can be overwhelmed and I think that we would be better served, my personal opinion, is that we would be better served with a defensive Hawaii radar and interceptors in Hawaii. I know that is being discussed . It is the sense of Congress that Congress supports assessing the feasibility of improving the missile defense of Hawaii from the evolving ballistic missile threat, including from North Korea, through a permanent missile defense sensor capability and the possible introduction of interim missile defense coverage.
The Secretary of Defense shall protect the test and training operations of the Pacific Missile Range Facility, and assess the siting and functionality of a discrimination radar for homeland defense throughout the Hawaiian Islands before assessing the feasibility of improving the missile defense of Hawaii by using existing missile defense assets that could materially improve the defense of Hawaii. The Director of the Missile Defense Agency shall— not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, conduct a test to evaluate and demonstrate, if technologically feasible, the capability to defeat a simple intercontinental ballistic missile threat using the standard missile 3 block IIA missile interceptor; and as part of the integrated master test plan for the ballistic missile defense system, develop a plan to demonstrate a capability to defeat a complex intercontinental ballistic missile threat, including a complex threat posed by the intercontinental ballistic missiles of North Korea.
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— that indicates whether demonstrating an intercontinental ballistic missile defense capability against North Korean ballistic missiles by the standard missile 3 block IIA missile interceptor poses any risks to strategic stability; and if the Secretary determines under paragraph
(1)that such demonstration poses such risks to strategic stability, a description of the plan developed and implemented by the Secretary to address and mitigate such risks, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.
Connectionstraces to 1
Traces to 1 document
Citation graph
cites case law
Sec. 1685
Defense of Hawaii from North Korean ballistic missile attack
Cites 1Cited by 0 across 0 sources