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Global Security Newswire
September. 10, 2009

The Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee yesterday signed off on $7.7 billion in funding for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency in the next budget year …

The money is included in the fiscal 2010 defense appropriations bill, which was scheduled to be considered today by the full Appropriations Committee.

“The need for a robust national missile defense has never been more apparent than it is today,” Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said in a statement. “Threats from rogue nations that seek to do America and her allies harm must be countered. This funding will help ensure the safety and security of our country.”

The agency is charged with developing and deploying “an integrated, layered, ballistic missile defense system to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends against all ranges of enemy ballistic missiles in all phases of flight,” according to its Web site.

The defense legislation provides $846 million for Ground-based Midcourse Defense, which could be used to destroy ballistic missiles in the middle range of flight, and $1.1 billion for the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense program, which could be used against weapons in the final phase of flight.

The Patriot Advanced Capability 3 program would receive $569 million, while $257.4 million would go to the Standard Missile 3 …

Meanwhile, the Defense Department has issued a $93 million contract for production of the new Standard Missile 6 …

The contract calls for defense firm Raytheon Missile Systems by March 2012 to deliver 19 SM-6 missiles, along with additional components and containers for the weapons. Further contracts are expected.

The Navy could use the ship-based SM-6 against short-range ballistic missiles, along with cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and other threats …

www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090910_5589.php

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United Press International (UPI): Aug. 3, 2009

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has awarded MicroTech a contracted extension to continue providing telecommunications support services.

U.S. company MicroTech was awarded a more than $25 million contract extension from the Missile Defense Agency, which is responsible for directing the U.S. ballistic missile defense program. …

www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2009/08/03/Missile-Defense-awards-MicroTech-follow-on/UPI-60201249320981/

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Reuters: Aug 3, 2009
By Andrea Shalal-Esa

A joint U.S.-Japanese missile defense program being built by Raytheon Co (RTN.N) is now slated to cost $3.1 billion, $700 million more than expected, mainly due to a Pentagon decision to cancel a separate program, a top military official said on Monday.

U.S. Rear Admiral Brad Hicks, program director of the Aegis sea-based leg of an emerging U.S. anti-missile shield, said the Standard Missile 3 Block IIA ballistic missile interceptor being developed by Raytheon jointly with Japan would be a “game-changer” for the military.

Sailors had nicknamed the missile “the Beast,” he said.

North Korea’s test-firing of a ballistic missile over Japan in August 1998 spurred Tokyo to become the most active U.S. ally in building a layered shield against missiles that could be tipped with chemical, biological or nuclear warheads.

Hicks said the new SM-3 IIA missile, slated to fly in 2014, would make it possible for one ship — instead of three — to protect Japan from enemy missile attacks. The missile could even be placed on land, if needed. …

www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN0352811220090803

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Venton Blandin
July 16, 2009
WHNT News

… Boeing has announced it will cut approximately 250 workers at various sites involved in missile defense work. The workers are at sites in Alabama, Alaska, California and Colorado. …

[The] situation comes from President Barack Obama’s budget for 2010. The president outlined a 35% reduction in funding for missile defense programs. …

www.whnt.com/whnt-boeing-missile-defense-cuts,0,7947283.story

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By American Forces Press Service
June 4, 2009

FORT GREELY, Alaska: Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stepped down inside a missile silo here yesterday …

Fort Greely, about 100 miles into the Alaskan interior from Fairbanks, is home to one of two ground-based, mid-course defense units housing missile interceptors on the West Coast. The other is at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. …

“We have a good capability here,” Gates said after a tour of the site. “I think knowing that we have this and that it becomes more effective in each passing day should be a source of comfort to the American people in an uncertain world.”

Sixteen interceptors are in the ground here, with plans to add two more. Combined with those at Vandenberg Air Force Base, the United States will have 30 such interceptor systems. More could be added if needed, Gates said.

In a brief meeting with reporters, Gates said he has planned nearly $1 billion in the 2010 budget for the development of ground-based interceptors. The budget also allows for developing other missile technologies that protect troops in the field, ships at sea and provide theater defense, he added. …

www.defencetalk.com/gates-meets-soldiers-on-front-lines-of-us-missile-defense-19485/

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President Obama’s Budget for the fiscal year 2010 is online at www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget

In his Presidental Transmittal Letter he says

“… in order to keep America strong and secure, the Budget includes critical investments in rebuilding our military, securing our homeland, and expanding our diplomatic efforts because we need to use all elements of our power to provide for our national security. We are not only proposing significant funding for our national security, but we are also being careful with those investments by, for instance, reforming defense contracting so that we are using our defense dollars to their maximum effect.”

A budget overview in the form a large number of pdf files together with a vast quantity of related information including a fact sheet on the U.S. Department of Defense.

The complete budget overview as a 140 document is available to download at www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/A_New_Era_of_Responsibility2.pdf

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Reuters – USA
7 May 2009

The Pentagon on Thursday sent Congress a fiscal 2010 budget plan that shifts funding to focus more on irregular warfare and take better care of troops, while cutting back or canceling several major weapons programs.

Some of the recommendations, which must still be approved by Congress, call for:

… [ a long list of cuts, cancellations and terminations including:] …

Cuts of $1.2 billion in funding from the missile defense program, with the lion’s share of the cuts coming from the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system built by Boeing, and the Patriot PAC-3 missile program run by Raytheon Co and Lockheed. Officials said they also canceled funding for the Kinetic Energy Interceptor being developed by Northrop Grumman Corp. …

www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN0726631020090507

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By Jeff Leys
4 May 2009
counterpunch.org

President Obama’s 2009 supplemental spending request to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is currently before Congress. The House Appropriations Committee will “mark up” (finalize its version) of a war funding bill at a committee hearing on May 7th. …

President Obama is seeking an additional $75.8 billion in war funds for this fiscal year. It is possible that Congress will add to this amount before final passage. If Congress enacts Obama’s request, total war spending will come to $144.6 billion for Fiscal Year 2009 (which ends on September 30, with Fiscal Year 2010 beginning on October 1). This compares to the $186 billion war spending in 2008. Obama’s proposed war budget for 2010 is $130 billion.

At first glance, it is easy to conclude that the proposed 22 percent reduction in war spending from 2008 to 2009 represents a significant shift in war strategy and is indicative of a drawing down of the twin wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sadly, such a conclusion would be wrong.

http://counterpunch.org/leys05042009.html

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