Sec. 229. REGIONAL BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE

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## SEC. 229 REGIONAL BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE ###

(a)Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— ####

(1)the threat from regional ballistic missiles, particularly from Iran and North Korea, is serious and growing, and puts at risk forward-deployed forces of the United States and allies and partners in Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region; ####

(2)the Department of Defense has an obligation to provide force protection of forward-deployed forces, assets, and facilities of the United States from regional ballistic missile attack; ####

(3)the United States has an obligation to meet its security commitments to its allies, including ballistic missile defense commitments; ####

(4)the Department of Defense has a program of investment and capabilities to provide for both homeland defense and regional defense against ballistic missiles, consistent with the Ballistic Missile Defense Review of 2010 and with the prioritized and integrated needs of the commanders of the combatant commands; ####

(5)the European Phased Adaptive Approach to missile defense is a response to the existing and growing ballistic missile threat from Iran to forward deployed United States forces, allies and partners in Europe; ####

(6)the Department of Defense— #####

(A)should, as a high priority, continue to develop, test, and plan to deploy all four phases of the European Phased Adaptive Approach, including all variants of the standard missile-3 interceptor; #####

(B)should continue to conduct tests to evaluate and assess the capability of future phases of the European Phased Adaptive Approach and to demonstrate whether they will achieve their intended roles, as outlined in the Ballistic Missile Defense Review of 2010; and #####

(C)should also continue with its other phased and adaptive regional missile defense efforts tailored to the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region; and ####

(7)European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are making a variety of contributions to missile defense in Europe, by hosting elements of missile defense systems of the United States on their territories, through individual national contributions to missile defense capability, and by collective funding and development of the Active Layered Theater Ballistic Missile Defense system; and ####

(8)allies and partners of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region and in the Middle East are making contributions to regional missile defense capabilities, including by hosting elements of missile defense systems of the United States on their territories; jointly developing missile defense capabilities; and cooperating in regional missile defense architectures. ###

(b)Report ####

(1)In general 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 describing the status and progress of regional missile defense programs and efforts. ####

(2)Elements of report The report required by paragraph

(1)shall include the following: #####

(A)An assessment of the adequacy of the existing and planned European Phased Adaptive Approach to provide force protection for forward-deployed forces of the United States in Europe against ballistic missile threats from Iran, and an assessment whether adequate force protection would be available absent the European Phased Adaptive Approach, given current and planned Patriot, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, and Aegis ballistic missile defense capability. #####

(B)A description of the progress made in the development and testing of elements of systems intended for deployment in Phases 2 through 4 of the European Phased Adaptive Approach, and an assessment of technical and schedule risks. #####

(C)A description of the missile defense priorities and capability needs of the regional combatant commands, and the planned regional missile defense architectures derived from those capability needs and priorities. #####

(D)A description of the global force management process used to evaluate the missile defense capability needs of the regional combatant commands and to determine the resource allocation and deployment outcomes among such commands. #####

(E)A description of the missile defense command and control concepts and arrangements in place for United States and allied regional missile defense forces, and the missile defense partnerships and burden-sharing arrangements in place between the United States and its allies and partners. ####

(3)Form The report required by paragraph

(1)shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. ###

(c)Comptroller General Views The Comptroller General of the United States shall— ####

(1)brief the congressional defense committees with the views of the Comptroller General on the report under subsection (b)(1) by not later than 60 days after the date on which the Secretary submits such report; and ####

(2)submit to such committees a written report on such views as soon as practicable after the date of the briefing under paragraph (1).