Pentagon Asks for $9.1 Billion in Missile Defense Funding

In a budget request just shy of $380 billion, the Defense Department is asking to spend $9.1 billion on missile defense in fiscal year 2004, according to a February 3 presentation by a top Pentagon official. Last February, the Pentagon sought $7.8 billion in missile defense funding.

Pending congressional approval, the majority of this year’s missile defense request—$7.7 billion—would go the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency (MDA), which oversees missile defense research and development. The other $1.4 billion would fund the Army’s procurement of 108 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptors for defending against short- and medium-range ballistic missiles and further development of the Medium Extended Air Defense System with Germany and Italy.

Not included in the $9.1 billion figure is $617 million for the Air Force’s Space-Based Infrared System-high program (SBIRS-high), which comprises satellites for detecting worldwide ballistic missile launches. A complementary satellite system—Space-Based Infrared System-low (SBIRS-low)—had been under development by MDA, but that system was restructured over the past year and renamed the Space Tracking and Surveillance System, which remains an MDA project.

Included in the MDA request is $301 million to begin exploring a new multi-use interceptor that could be deployed on both ships and mobile land platforms with the capability to intercept missiles during the boost phase—the few minutes after launch when the rocket engines are still firing. MDA, however, estimates that such interceptors will not be available for field testing until at least 2008 or later.

More immediate, and comprising $3.6 billion of the MDA budget, is funding for land- and sea-based interceptors and sensors to fulfill President George W. Bush’s December 2002 order to begin deploying initial missile defense systems in 2004. (See ACT, January/February 2003.) The aim is to have as many as 10 ground-based interceptors deployed in Alaska and California by the end of 2004 and an additional 10 within the next year.

The 20 ground-based interceptors, which are designed to counter long-range ballistic missile warheads traveling through space, are to be complemented by 20 sea-based interceptors aboard three ships. These sea-based interceptors, however, are only designed to destroy short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Also, 15 additional ships will receive software upgrades to permit them to better track ballistic missiles.

MDA is seeking $810 million to research systems to destroy warheads during the final moments before their impact, the stage of flight known as the terminal phase. Much of this funding would be dedicated to the Theater High Altitude Area Defense system, which is currently scheduled to resume flight tests in late 2004 after last being flight-tested in 1999.

Another $626 million of the MDA budget would be devoted to the Airborne Laser project, designed to shoot down missiles in their boost phase. MDA would also receive $438 million for developing various sensors, such as radars. Developing targets for intercept testing and other testing activities are budgeted to receive $611 million.

Over the past two years, Congress appropriated roughly $500 million and $400 million less than what the Pentagon requested for missile defense spending. Democratic legislators, who are more skeptical and critical of missile defenses than their Republican colleagues, might target any space-based systems funding as an area in which to try to exact cuts.