By Dave Ahearn

A House subcommittee yesterday pushed forward legislation ordering studies into missile defense programs, including the proposed European Missile Defense (EMD) system.

The House Armed Services Committee strategic forces subcommittee authorization bill for fiscal 2009 orders the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Pentagon operational test and evaluation office to jointly form an agreed plan to test the European Missile Defense system.

It would involve a modified (one stage removed) version of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system now installed in Alaska and California.

The European system would involve a radar in the Czech Republic and interceptors in silos in Poland.

The subcommittee bill also orders the secretary of defense to develop a comprehensive plan to set the future missile defense force structure and inventory requirements.

As well, the subcommittee measure orders the chief Pentagon procurement official and the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to report on the ability of the Missile Defense Executive Board to address concerns raised by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council.

In addition to those studies, the subcommittee authorization bill also would order some other evaluations:

  • It directs MDA to report on how it will improve GMD testing and how it will bolster the missile defense targets program.
  • Also, MDA would have to provide criteria and a path for down-selecting between vendors as the Multiple Kill Vehicle program meets its knowledge points.
  • And the bill orders MDA to set up separate budget program element numbers for each terminal missile defense system and sensor element. MDA long has operated with fewer budget constraints than long-term, established defense programs, because MDA has had to engage in technology invention, breakthroughs needed to take down incoming enemy missiles.