[DOCID: f:hr132.105]
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105th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 105-132
_______________________________________________________________________
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998
----------
R E P O R T
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ON
H.R. 1119
together with
ADDITIONAL AND DISSENTING VIEWS
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
June 16, 1997.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998
105th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 105-132
_______________________________________________________________________
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998
__________
R E P O R T
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ON
H.R. 1119
together with
ADDITIONAL AND DISSENTING VIEWS
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
June 16, 1997.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY
One Hundred Fifth Congress
FLOYD D. SPENCE, South Carolina, Chairman
BOB STUMP, Arizona RONALD V. DELLUMS, California
DUNCAN HUNTER, California IKE SKELTON, Missouri
JOHN R. KASICH, Ohio NORMAN SISISKY, Virginia
HERBERT H. BATEMAN, Virginia JOHN M. SPRATT, Jr., South
JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah Carolina
CURT WELDON, Pennsylvania SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas
JOEL HEFLEY, Colorado OWEN PICKETT, Virginia
JIM SAXTON, New Jersey LANE EVANS, Illinois
STEVE BUYER, Indiana GENE TAYLOR, Mississippi
TILLIE K. FOWLER, Florida NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Hawaii
JOHN M. McHUGH, New York MARTIN T. MEEHAN, Massachusetts
JAMES TALENT, Missouri ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD, Guam
TERRY EVERETT, Alabama JANE HARMAN, California
ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland PAUL McHALE, Pennsylvania
HOWARD ``BUCK'' McKEON, California PATRICK J. KENNEDY, Rhode Island
RON LEWIS, Kentucky ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, Illinois
J.C. WATTS, Jr., Oklahoma SILVESTRE REYES, Texas
MAC THORNBERRY, Texas TOM ALLEN, Maine
JOHN N. HOSTETTLER, Indiana VIC SNYDER, Arkansas
SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia JIM TURNER, Texas
VAN HILLEARY, Tennessee F. ALLEN BOYD, Jr., Florida
JOE SCARBOROUGH, Florida ADAM SMITH, Washington
WALTER B. JONES, Jr., North LORETTA SANCHEZ, California
Carolina JAMES H. MALONEY, Connecticut
LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina MIKE McINTYRE, North Carolina
SONNY BONO, California CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ, Texas
JIM RYUN, Kansas
MICHAEL PAPPAS, New Jersey
BOB RILEY, Alabama
JIM GIBBONS, Nevada
Andrew K. Ellis, Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Explanation of the Committee Amendment........................... 1
Purpose.......................................................... 1
Relationship of Authorization to Appropriations.................. 2
Summary of Authorization in the Bill............................. 2
Summary Table of Authorizations................................ 2
Rationale for the Committee Bill................................. 10
Readiness...................................................... 13
Quality of Life................................................ 14
Modernization and Innovation................................... 15
Defense Reform................................................. 16
Conclusion..................................................... 17
Hearings......................................................... 18
DIVISION A--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION.................. 19
TITLE I--PROCUREMENT............................................. 19
OVERVIEW....................................................... 19
Aircraft Procurement, Army................................... 22
Overview................................................... 22
Items of Special Interest.................................. 25
Missile Procurement, Army.................................... 27
Overview................................................... 27
Items of Special Interest.................................. 30
Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army.................... 31
Overview................................................... 31
Items of Special Interest.................................. 34
Ammunition Procurement, Army................................. 36
Overview................................................... 36
Items of Special Interest.................................. 40
Other Procurement, Army...................................... 41
Overview................................................... 41
Items of Special Interest.................................. 50
Aircraft Procurement, Navy................................... 57
Overview................................................... 57
Items of Special Interest.................................. 61
Weapons Procurement, Navy.................................... 66
Overview................................................... 66
Items of Special Interest.................................. 70
Ammunition Procurement, Navy/Marine Corps.................... 71
Overview................................................... 71
Items of Special Interest.................................. 74
Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy............................ 74
Overview................................................... 74
Items of Special Interest.................................. 77
Other Procurement, Navy...................................... 81
Overview................................................... 81
Items of Special Interest.................................. 91
Procurement, Marine Corps.................................... 95
Overview................................................... 95
Items of Special Interest.................................. 100
Aircraft Procurement, Air Force.............................. 101
Overview................................................... 101
Items of Special Interest.................................. 106
Ammunition Procurement, Air Force............................ 110
Overview................................................... 110
Missile Procurement, Air Force............................... 113
Overview................................................... 113
Items of Special Interest.................................. 116
Other Procurement, Air Force................................. 117
Overview................................................... 117
Items of Special Interest.................................. 123
Procurement, Defense-Wide.................................... 124
Overview................................................... 124
Items of Special Interest.................................. 129
National Guard and Reserve Equipment......................... 130
Overview................................................... 130
Items of Special Interest.................................. 134
Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction, Defense........... 134
Overview................................................... 134
Items of Special Interest.................................. 136
Defense Export Loan Guarantees............................... 137
Overview................................................... 137
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 139
Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations.................. 139
Sections 101-108--Authorization of Appropriations.......... 139
Section 121--Limitation on Obligation of Funds for the
Seawolf Submarine Program................................ 139
Section 122--Report on Annual Budget Submission Regarding
the Reserve Components................................... 139
TITLE II--RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION............ 140
OVERVIEW....................................................... 140
Army RDT&E-.................................................. 142
Overview................................................... 142
Items Of Special Interest.................................. 151
Navy RDT&E................................................... 164
Overview................................................... 164
Items Of Special Interest.................................. 174
Air Force RDT&E.............................................. 202
Overview................................................... 202
Items Of Special Interest.................................. 211
Defense Agencies RDT&E....................................... 216
Overview................................................... 216
Items Of Special Interest.................................. 225
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 255
Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations.................. 255
Section 201--Authorization Of Appropriations............... 255
Section 202--Amount For Basic And Applied Research......... 255
Section 203--Dual Use Technology Programs.................. 255
Subtitle B--Program Requirements, Restrictions, and
Limitations................................................ 255
Section 211--Manufacturing Technology Program.............. 255
Section 212--Strategic Environmental Research and
Development Program...................................... 256
Section 213--Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles............. 256
Section 214--Revisions to Membership of and Appointment
Authority for National Ocean Research Leadership Council. 257
Section 215--Maintenance and Repair of Real Property at Air
Force Installations...................................... 257
Section 216--Expansion of Eligibility for the Defense
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research... 257
Section 217--Limitation on the Use of Funds for Adaptation
of Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures
(IDECM) Program to F/A-18E/F Aircraft and AV-8B Aircraft. 257
Section 218--Bioassay Testing of Veterans.................. 257
Subtitle C--Ballistic Missile Defense Programs............... 258
Section 231--Budgetary Treatment of Amount Requested for
Procurement for Ballistic Missile Defense Programs....... 258
Section 232--Cooperative Ballistic Missile Defense Programs 258
Section 233--Deployment Dates for Core Theater Missile
Defense Programs......................................... 258
Section 234--Annual Report on Threat Posed to the United
States by Weapons of Mass Destruction, Ballistic
Missiles, and Cruise Missiles............................ 260
Section 235--Director of Ballistic Missile Defense
Organization (BMDO)...................................... 260
Section 236--Tactical High Energy Laser Program (THEL)..... 261
TITLE III--OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE............................. 262
OVERVIEW....................................................... 262
Funding Priorities........................................... 262
Readiness.................................................... 263
Reform....................................................... 264
Funding Overview............................................. 264
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST...................................... 292
Budget Request Reductions.................................... 292
Administration and Support Accounts........................ 292
Bulk Fuel.................................................. 292
Advisory and Assistance Services........................... 293
Defense Support Services Reform.............................. 293
Overview................................................... 293
Contracting Out Firefighter and Security Activities at
Military Installations................................... 294
Criminal Investigations and Board on Audits................ 294
Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service Improvements... 295
Defense Supply and Logistics Management.................... 295
Definition of Mission Essential Support Services........... 296
Extensively Studied Functions.............................. 297
Multi-Service Contracting of Base Operations Functions..... 297
Oversight of Outsourced Functions.......................... 298
Procurement and Electronic Commerce Technical Assistance
Program.................................................. 298
United States Transportation Command....................... 299
Environmental Issues......................................... 300
Air Force Plant #3, Tulsa, Oklahoma........................ 300
Compliance Funding......................................... 300
Environmental Cleanup at the Washington Navy Yard.......... 301
Exploring Options to Reduce Environmental Cleanup Costs.... 302
Performance Based Contracting.............................. 302
Intelligence Matters......................................... 303
Budget Justification Materials............................. 303
Command and Control, Communications, Computers and
Intelligence Integrated Architecture Plan................ 304
Defense Space Reconnaissance Program (DSRP)................ 304
Foreign Instrumentation Intelligence....................... 305
Imagery and Geospatial System Production................... 305
Intelligence System Interoperability....................... 306
Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar................... 307
Joint Planning and Program Review.......................... 307
National Imagery and Mapping Agency Civilian Personnel..... 307
National Imagery and Mapping Agency Mission Support........ 308
Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)..................... 309
Tactical Information Program............................... 309
Tactical Support........................................... 309
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Issues....................... 310
Deferred Payment Programs of Military Exchanges............ 310
MWR Reimbursement from Closure of Foreign Military
Installations............................................ 310
Pentagon Concessions Committee Activities.................. 311
Report on Black Marketing of Beer in Korea................. 312
Report on Tobacco Sales at Commissaries.................... 312
Uniform Health Benefit Program for Nonappropriated Fund
Employees................................................ 313
Defense Commissary Agency Produce Purchasing............... 313
Other Issues................................................. 314
Army After Next............................................ 314
Army Aviation Training..................................... 315
Army Civilian Personnel Management......................... 315
Army Depot Maintenance Funding............................. 316
Automatic Document Conversion Technology................... 316
Budget Justification Materials............................. 316
Computer Crimes and Information Technology Security........ 317
Contractor Operated Civil Engineering Supply Stores........ 317
Department of Defense Next Generation Weather Radar-Doppler 318
Emergency Communications Services for Members of the Armed
Forces and Their Families................................ 318
Flying Hour Shortfalls..................................... 319
Impending Change in Air Force Supply Management Activity
Group.................................................... 320
Logistics Augmentation Programs............................ 320
Military Affiliate Radio System............................ 321
Mobility Infrastructure Enhancement........................ 322
Non-BRAC Caretaker Costs................................... 322
Repair and Maintenance Projects............................ 322
Renovation of Building for Defense Accounting Service
Center................................................... 323
Shatter Resistant Window Film.............................. 323
Travel Reengineering....................................... 323
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 324
Subtitle A--Authorization Of Appropriations.................. 324
Section 301--Operation and Maintenance Funding............. 324
Section 302--Working Capital Funds......................... 324
Section 303--Armed Forces Retirement Home.................. 324
Section 304--Transfer From National Defense Stockpile
Transaction Fund......................................... 325
Section 305--Refurbishment and Installation of Air Search
Radar.................................................... 325
Section 306--Refurbishment of M1A1 Tanks................... 325
Section 307--Procurement and Electronic Commerce Technical
Assistance Program....................................... 325
Section 308--Availability of Funds for Separation Pay for
Defense Acquisition Personnel............................ 325
Subtitle B--Military Readiness Issues........................ 325
Overview................................................... 325
Section 311--Expansion of Scope of Quarterly Readiness
Reports.................................................. 328
Section 312--Limitation on Reallocation of Funds Within
Operation and Maintenance Appropriations................. 329
Section 313--Operation of Prepositioned Fleet, National
Training Center, Fort Irwin, California.................. 329
Section 314--Prohibition of Implementation of Tiered
Readiness System......................................... 329
Section 315--Reports on Transfers From High Priority
Readiness Appropriations................................. 330
Section 316--Report on Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
Exercise Program and Partnership for Peace Program....... 331
Section 317--Quarterly Reports on Execution of Operation
and Maintenance Appropriations........................... 331
Subtitle C--Civilian Personnel............................... 331
Section 321--Pay Practices When Overseas Teachers Transfer
To General Schedule Positions............................ 331
Section 322--Use of Approved Fire-Safe Accommodations by
Government Employees on Official Business................ 332
Subtitle D--Depot-Level Activities........................... 332
Section 331--Extension of Authority for Aviation Depots and
Naval Shipyards to Engage in Defense Related Production
and Services............................................. 332
Section 332--Exclusion of Certain Large Maintenance and
Repair Projects from Percentage Limitation on Contracting
for Depot-Level Maintenance.............................. 332
Section 333--Restrictions on Contracts for Performance of
Depot-Level Maintenance and Repair at Certain Facilities. 332
Section 334--Core Logistics Functions of Department of
Defense.................................................. 333
Section 335--Centers of Industrial and Technical Excellence 333
Section 336--Personnel Reductions, Army Depots
Participating in Army Workload and Performance System.... 334
Subtitle E--Environmental Provisions......................... 334
Section 341--Revision of Membership Terms for Strategic
Environmental Research and Development Program Scientific
Advisory Board........................................... 334
Section 342--Amendments to Authority to Enter into
Agreements with Other Agencies in Support of
Environmental Technology Certification................... 334
Section 343--Authorization to Pay Negotiated Settlement for
Environmental Cleanup at Former Department of Defense
Sites in Canada.......................................... 334
Section 344--Modifications of Authority to Store and
Dispose of Nondefense Toxic and Hazardous Materials...... 335
Section 345--Revision of Report Requirement for Navy
Program to Monitor Ecological Effects of Organotin....... 335
Section 346--Partnerships for Investment in Innovative
Environmental Technologies............................... 335
Section 347--Pilot Program to Test Alternative Technology
for Eliminating Solid and Liquid Waste Emissions During
Ship Operations.......................................... 336
Subtitle F--Commissaries And Nonappropriated Fund
Instrumentalities.......................................... 336
Section 361--Reorganization of Laws Regarding Commissaries,
Exchanges, and other Morale, Welfare, and Recreation
Activities............................................... 336
Section 362--Merchandise and Pricing Requirements for
Commissary Stores........................................ 336
Section 363--Limitation on Noncompetitive Procurement of
Brand-Name Commercial Items for Resale in Commissary
Stores................................................... 337
Section 364--Transfer of Jurisdiction over Exchange,
Commissary, and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Activities
to Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).............. 337
Section 365--Public and Private Partnerships to Benefit
Morale, Welfare and Recreation Activities................ 337
Section 366--Treatment of Certain Amounts Received by
Defense Commissary Agency................................ 338
Section 367--Authorized Use of Appropriated Funds for
Relocation of Navy Exchange Service Command.............. 338
Subtitle G--Other Matters.................................... 338
Section 371--Assistance to Local Educational Agencies That
Benefit Dependents of Members of the Armed Forces and
Department of Defense Civilian Employees................. 338
Section 372--Continuation of Operation Mongoose............ 339
Section 373--Inclusion of Air Force Depot Maintenance as
Operation and Maintenance Budget Activity Group.......... 339
Section 374--Programs to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of
Marshall Plan and Korean Conflict........................ 339
Section 375--Prohibition on Use of Special Operations
Command Budget for Base Operation Support................ 340
Section 376--Continuation and Extension of Demonstration
Program to Identify Overpayments Made to Vendors......... 340
Section 377--Applicability of Federal Printing Requirements
to Defense Automated Printing Service.................... 340
Section 378--Base Operations Support for Military
Installations on Guam.................................... 341
MILITARY PERSONNEL OVERVIEW...................................... 341
TITLE IV--MILTARY PERSONNEL AUTHORIZATIONS....................... 346
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 346
Subtitle A--Active Forces.................................... 346
Section 401--End Strengths for Active Forces............... 346
Subtitle B--Reserve Forces................................... 347
Section 411--End Strengths for Selected Reserve............ 347
Section 412--End Strengths for Reserves on Active Duty in
Support of the Reserves.................................. 348
Section 413--End Strengths for Military Technicians (Dual
Status).................................................. 348
Section 414--Increase in Number of Members in Certain
Grades Authorized to Serve on Active Duty in Support of
the Reserves............................................. 349
Subtitle C--Authorization of Appropriations.................. 349
Section 421--Authorization of Appropriations for Military
Personnel................................................ 349
TITLE V--MILITARY PERSONNEL POLICY............................... 350
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST...................................... 350
Family Life Assistance Programs............................ 350
Increased Support for Military Recruiting.................. 350
Investigation of the Deaths of Military Personnel by Self-
inflicted Causes......................................... 350
Joint Recruiting Information Support System................ 351
Military Identification Cards.............................. 352
Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) Consolidations..... 352
Retention of Military Leave for Federal Civilian Employees
Who Perform Reserve Duty................................. 352
Sexual Misconduct in the Armed Services.................... 353
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 354
Subtitle A--Officer Personnel Policy......................... 354
Section 501--Limitation on Number of General and Flag
Officers Who May Serve in Positions Outside Their Own
Service.................................................. 354
Section 502--Exclusion of Certain Retired Officers from
Limitation on Period of Recall to Active Duty............ 355
Section 503--Clarification of Officers Eligible for
Consideration by Selection Boards........................ 355
Section 504--Authority to Defer Mandatory Retirement for
Age of Officers Serving As Chaplains..................... 355
Subtitle B--Reserve Component Matters........................ 355
Section 511--Individual Ready Reserve Activation Authority. 355
Section 512--Termination of Mobilization Income Insurance
Program.................................................. 356
Section 513--Correction of Inequities in Medical and Dental
Care and Death and Disability Benefits for Reserve
Members Who Incur or Aggravate an Illness in the Line of
Duty..................................................... 357
Section 514--Time-in-Grade Requirements for Reserve
Commissioned Officers Retired During the Drawdown Period. 357
Section 515--Authority to Permit Non-Unit Assigned Officers
to be Considered by Vacancy Promotion Board to General
Officer Grades........................................... 357
Section 516--Grade Requirement for Officers Eligible to
Serve on Involuntary Separation Boards................... 357
Section 517--Limitation on Use of Air Force Reserve AGR
Personnel for Air Force Base Security Functions.......... 357
Subtitle C--Military Technicians............................. 358
Section 521--Authority to Retain on the Reserve Active-
Status List Until Age 60 Military Technicians in the
Grade of Brigadier General............................... 358
Section 522--Military Technicians (Dual Status)............ 358
Section 523--Non-Dual Status Military Technicians.......... 359
Subtitle D--Measures to Improve Recruit Quality and Reduce... 359
Recruit Attrition............................................ 359
Section 531--Reform of Military Recruiting Systems......... 359
Section 532--Improvements in Medical Prescreening of
Applicants for Military Service.......................... 360
Section 533--Improvements in Physical Fitness of Recruits.. 360
Subtitle E--Military Education and Training.................. 360
Section 541--Independent Panel to Review Military Basic
Training................................................. 360
Section 542--Reform of Army Drill Sergeant Selection and
Training Process......................................... 361
Section 543--Requirement for Candidates for Admission to
United States Naval Academy to Take Oath of Allegiance... 362
Section 544--Reimbursement of Expenses Incurred for
Instruction at Service Academies of Persons from Foreign
Countries................................................ 362
Section 545--United States Naval Postgraduate School....... 363
Section 546--Air Force Academy Cadet Foreign Exchange
Program.................................................. 363
Section 547--Training in Human Relations Matters for Army
Drill Sergeant Trainees.................................. 364
Section 548--Study of Feasibility of Gender-Segregated
Basic Training........................................... 364
Subtitle F--Military Decorations and Awards.................. 364
Section 551--Study of New Decorations for Injury or Death
in Line of Duty.......................................... 364
Section 552--Purple Heart to be Awarded Only to Members of
the Armed Forces......................................... 365
Section 553--Eligibility for Armed Forces Expeditionary
Medal for Participation in Operation Joint Endeavor or
Operation Joint Guard.................................... 365
Section 554--Waiver of Time Limitations for Award of
Certain Decorations to Specified Persons................. 365
Subtitle G--Other Matters.................................... 365
Section 561--Suspension of Temporary Early Retirement
Authority................................................ 365
Section 562--Treatment of Educational Accomplishments of
National Guard ChalleNGe Program Participants............ 365
Section 563--Authority for Personnel to Participate in
Management of Certain Non-Federal Entities............... 366
Section 564--Crew Requirements of WC-130J Aircraft......... 366
Section 565 and Section 566--Civil-Military Programs....... 366
Section 567--Continuation of Support to Senior Military
Colleges................................................. 367
Section 568--Restoration of Missing Persons Authorities
Applicable to Department of Defense as in Effect Before
Enactment of National Defense Authorization Act For
Fiscal Year 1997......................................... 367
Section 569--Establishment of Sentence of Confinement for
Life Without Eligibility for Parole...................... 368
Section 570--Limitation on Appeal of Denial of Parole for
Offenders Serving Life Sentence.......................... 368
Section 571--Establishment of Public Affairs Branch in the
Army..................................................... 368
TITLE VI--COMPENSATION AND OTHER PERSONNEL BENEFITS.............. 369
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST...................................... 369
Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program
(AFHPSP)................................................. 369
Communication of Retirement Benefits to New Accessions..... 369
Study of Certain Compensation Issues....................... 370
Tax Deferred Savings Plan.................................. 370
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 371
Subtitle A--Pay and Allowances............................... 371
Section 601--Increase in Basic Pay for Fiscal Year 1998.... 371
Section 602--Annual Adjustment of Basic Pay and Protection
of Member's Total Compensation While Performing Certain
Duty..................................................... 371
Section 603--Use of Food Cost Information to Determine
Basic Allowance for Subsistence.......................... 372
Section 604--Consolidation of Basic Allowance for Quarters,
Variable Housing Allowance, and Overseas Housing
Allowances............................................... 372
Subtitle B--Bonuses and Special and Incentive Pays........... 373
Section 611--One-Year Extension of Certain Bonuses and
Special Pay Authorities for Reserve Forces............... 373
Section 612--One-Year Extension of Certain Bonuses and
Special Pay Authorities for Nurse Officer Candidates,
Registered Nurses, and Nurse Anesthetists................ 373
Section 613--One-Year Extension of Authorities Relating to
Payment of Other Bonuses and Special Pays................ 373
Section 614--Increase in Minimum Monthly Rate of Hazardous
Duty Incentive Pay for Certain Members................... 374
Section 615--Availability of Multiyear Retention Bonus for
Dental Officers.......................................... 374
Section 616--Increase in Variable and Additional Special
Pays for Certain Dental Officers......................... 374
Section 617--Special Pay for Duty at Designated Hardship
Duty Locations........................................... 374
Section 618--Selected Reserve Reenlistment Bonus........... 375
Section 619--Selected Reserve Enlistment Bonus for Former
Enlisted Members......................................... 375
Section 620--Special Pay or Bonuses for Enlisted Members
Extending Tours of Duty Overseas......................... 375
Section 621--Increase in Amount of Family Separation
Allowance................................................ 375
Section 622--Change in Requirements for Ready Reserve
Muster Duty Allowance.................................... 375
Subtitle C--Travel and Transportation Allowances............. 375
Section 631--Travel and Transportation Allowances for
Dependents of Member Sentenced by Court-Martial.......... 375
Section 632--Dislocation Allowance......................... 376
Subtitle D--Retired Pay, Survivor Benefits, and Related
Matters.................................................... 376
Section 641--Time in Which Certain Changes in Beneficiary
Under Survivor Benefit Plan May Be Made.................. 376
Subtitle E--Other Matters.................................... 376
Section 651--Definition of Sea Duty for Purposes of Career
Sea Pay.................................................. 376
Section 652--Loan Repayment Program for Commissioned
Officers in Certain Health Professions................... 376
Section 653--Conformance of NOAA Commissioned Officers
Separation Pay to Separation Pay for Members of Other
Uniformed Services....................................... 376
Section 654--Reimbursement of Public Health Service
Officers for Adoption Expenses........................... 376
Section 655--Payment of Back Quarters and Subsistence
Allowances to World War II Veterans Who Served as
Guerrilla Fighters in the Philippines.................... 377
Section 656--Space Available Travel for Members of Selected
Reserve.................................................. 377
Section 657--Study on Military Personnel At, Near, or Below
the Poverty Line......................................... 377
Section 658--Implementation of Department of Defense
Supplemental Food Program for Military Personnel Outside
the United States........................................ 377
TITLE VII--HEALTH CARE PROVISIONS................................ 378
OVERVIEW..................................................... 378
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST.................................... 379
CHAMPUS as a Second-Payer to Other Health Insurance...... 379
Pacific Medical Network.................................. 379
TRICARE Program.......................................... 379
Vietnam Repatriated Prisoner of War Program.............. 380
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS....................................... 381
Subtitle A--Health Care Services........................... 381
Section 701--Expansion of Retiree Dental Insurance Plan
to Include Surviving Spouse and Child Dependents of
Certain Deceased Members............................... 381
Section 702--Provision of Prosthetic Devices to Covered
Beneficiaries.......................................... 381
Subtitle B--TRICARE Program................................ 381
Section 711--Addition of Definition of TRICARE Program to
Title 10............................................... 381
Section 712--Plan for Expansion of Managed Care Option of
TRICARE Program........................................ 381
Subtitle C--Uniformed Services Treatment Facilities........ 382
Section 721--Implementation of Designated Provider
Agreements for Uniformed Services Treatment Facilities. 382
Section 722--Limitation on Total Payments................ 382
Section 723--Continued Acquisition of Reduced-Cost Drugs. 382
Subtitle D--Other Changes to Existing Laws Regarding Health
Care Management.......................................... 382
Section 731--Waiver or Reduction of Copayments Under
Overseas Dental Program................................ 382
Section 732--Premium Collection Requirements for Medical
and Dental Insurance Programs.......................... 382
Section 733--Consistency Between CHAMPUS and Medicare in
Payment Rates for Service.............................. 383
Section 734--Use of Personal Services Contracts for
Provision of Health Care Services and Legal Protection
for Providers.......................................... 383
Section 735--Portability of State Licenses for Department
of Defense Health Care Professionals................... 384
Section 736--Standard Form and Requirements Regarding
Claims for Payment for Services........................ 384
Section 737--Medical Personnel Conscience Clause......... 384
Subtitle E--Other Matters.................................. 384
Section 741--Continued Admission of Civilians as Students
in Physician Assistant Training Program of Army Medical
Department............................................. 384
Section 742--Emergency Health Care in Connection with
Overseas Activities of On-Site Inspection Agency of the
Department of Defense.................................. 385
Section 743--Comptroller General Study of Adequacy and
Effect of Maximum Allowable Charges for Physicians
under CHAMPUS.......................................... 385
Section 744--Comptroller General Study of Department of
Defense Pharmacy Programs.............................. 385
Section 745--Comptroller General Study of Navy Graduate
Medical Education Program.............................. 385
Section 746--Study of Expansion of Pharmaceuticals by
Mail Program to Include Additional Medicare-Eligible
Covered Beneficiaries.................................. 386
TITLE VIII--ACQUISITION POLICY, ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT, AND
RELATED MATTERS-............................................... 387
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST...................................... 387
Cost Accounting Standards Board............................ 387
Management Responsibility for Acquisition Policy........... 387
Training and Education of the Acquisition Workforce........ 388
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 389
Subtitle A--Acquisition Policy............................... 389
Section 801--Case-by-Case Waivers of Domestic Source
Limitations.............................................. 389
Section 802--Expansion of Authority to Enter Into Contracts
Crossing Fiscal Years to All Severable Services Contracts
Not Exceeding a Year..................................... 390
Section 803--Clarification of Vestiture of Title Under
Contracts................................................ 390
Section 804--Exclusion of Disaster Relief, Humanitarian,
and Peacekeeping Operations from Restrictions on Use of
Undefinitized Contract Actions........................... 390
Section 805--Limitation and Report on Payment of
Restructuring Costs under Defense Contracts.............. 390
Section 806--Authority Relating to Purchase of Certain
Vehicles................................................. 390
Section 807--Multiyear Procurement Contracts............... 390
Section 808--Domestic Source Limitation Amendments......... 391
Section 809--Repeal of Expiration of Domestic Source
Limitation for Certain Naval Vessel Propellers........... 391
Subtitle B--Other Matters.................................... 391
Section 821--Repeal of Certain Acquisition Reports and
Requirements............................................. 391
Section 822--Extension of Authority for use of Test and
Evaluation Installations by Commercial Entities.......... 391
Section 823--Requirement to Develop and Maintain List of
Firms Not Eligible for Defense Contracts................. 391
TITLE IX--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT...... 392
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST.................................... 392
Armed Services Patent Advisory Board....................... 392
Defense Acquisition Workforce.............................. 392
Defense Boards and Commissions............................. 393
Defense Reorganization..................................... 394
Management Headquarters and Headquarters Support Personnel. 394
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS....................................... 395
Section 901--Limitation on Operation and Support Funds for
the Office of the Secretary of Defense................... 395
Section 902--Components of National Defense University..... 396
Section 903--Authorization for the Marine Corps University
to Employ Civilian Professors............................ 396
Section 904--Center for the Study of Chinese Military
Affairs.................................................. 396
Section 905--White House Communications Agency............. 397
Section 906--Revision to Required Frequency for Provision
of Policy Guidance for Contingency Plans................. 397
Section 907--Termination of the Defense Airborne
Reconnaissance Office.................................... 397
TITLE X--GENERAL PROVISIONS...................................... 399
Counterdrug Activities....................................... 399
Overview................................................... 399
Items of Special Interest.................................. 399
C-26 aircraft photo reconnaissance upgrade............... 399
Gulf states counterdrug initiative....................... 399
Mapping, charting and geodesy............................ 400
Mexican, Caribbean and South American initiative......... 400
Non-Intrusive Inspection Systems......................... 402
Optionally piloted air vehicle........................... 403
Southwest border fence project........................... 403
Tracker aircraft......................................... 403
Other Matters................................................ 404
Implementation of Whistleblower Protections................ 404
Intelligence Shortcomings During Persian Gulf War.......... 404
Resolution of Commercial Disputes in Saudi Arabia.......... 405
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 405
Subtitle A--Financial Matters................................ 405
Section 1001--Transfer Authority........................... 405
Section 1002--Incorporation of Classified Annex............ 405
Section 1003--Authority for Obligation of Unauthorized
Fiscal Year 1997 Defense Appropriations.................. 406
Section 1004--Authorization of Supplemental Appropriations
for Fiscal Year 1997..................................... 406
Section 1005--Increase in Fiscal Year 1996 Transfer
Authority................................................ 406
Section 1006--Fisher House Trust Fund...................... 406
Section 1007--Flexibility in Financing Closure of Certain
Outstanding Contracts for Which a Small Final Payment is
Due...................................................... 406
Subtitle B--Naval Vessels and Shipyards...................... 406
Section 1021--Relationship of Certain Laws to Disposal of
Vessels for Export from the Naval Vessel Register and the
National Defense Reserve Fleet........................... 406
Section 1022--Authority to Enter into a Long-Term Charter
for a Vessel in Support of the Surveillance Towed Array
Sensor (SURTASS) Program................................. 407
Section 1023--Transfer of Two Specified Obsolete Tugboats
of the Army.............................................. 407
Section 1024--Naming of a DDG-51 Class Destroyer the U.S.S.
Thomas F. Connolly....................................... 407
Section 1025--Congressional Review Period with Respect to
Transfer of the Ex-U.S.S. Midway (CV-41)................. 407
Subtitle C--Counter-Drug Activities.......................... 408
Section 1031--Prohibition on Use of National Guard for
Civil-Military Activities Under State Drug Interdiction
and Counterdrug Activities Plan.......................... 408
Subtitle D--Miscellaneous Report Requirements and Repeals.... 409
Section 1041--Repeal of Miscellaneous Obsolete Reports
Required by Prior Defense Authorization Acts............. 409
Section 1042--Repeal of Annual Report Requirement Relating
to Training of Special Operations Forces with Friendly
Foreign Forces........................................... 409
Subtitle E--Other Matters.................................... 409
Section 1051--Authority for Special Agents of the Defense
Criminal Investigative Service to Execute Warrants and
Make Arrests............................................. 409
Section 1052--Study of Investigative Practices of Military
Criminal Investigative Organizations Relating to Sex
Crimes................................................... 409
Section 1053--Technical and Clerical Amendments............ 410
Section 1054--Display of POW/MIA Flag...................... 410
Section 1055--Certification Required Before Observance of
Moratorium on Use by Armed Forces of Antipersonnel
Landmines................................................ 410
Section 1056--Protection of Safety-Related Information
Voluntarily Provided by Air Carriers..................... 410
Section 1057--National Guard ChalleNGe Program to Create
Opportunities for Civilian Youth......................... 411
Section 1058--Lease of Non-Excess Personal Property of the
Military Departments..................................... 412
Section 1059--Commendation of Members of the Armed Forces
and Government Civilian Personnel who Served During the
Cold War................................................. 412
TITLE XI--COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION WITH STATES OF FORMER
SOVIET UNION................................................... 413
OVERVIEW....................................................... 413
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST...................................... 413
Arms Elimination Projects in Russia........................ 413
Arms Elimination Projects in Ukraine....................... 414
Auditing of CTR Assistance................................. 414
Chemical Weapons Destruction............................... 415
Fissile Material Storage Facility.......................... 417
Nuclear Reactor Core Conversion............................ 418
Nuclear Weapons Storage Security In Russia................. 419
Other Support Programs..................................... 419
Program Overhead........................................... 420
Prohibition of Specified Activities........................ 420
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 420
Section 1101--Specification of Cooperative Threat Reduction
Programs................................................. 420
Section 1102--Fiscal Year 1998 Funding Allocations......... 420
Section 1103--Prohibition on Use of Funds for Specified
Purposes................................................. 420
Section 1104--Prohibition on Use of Funds Until Specified
Reports are Submitted.................................... 420
Section 1105--Limitation on Use of Funds Until Submission
of Certification......................................... 420
Section 1106--Use of Funds for Chemical Weapons Destruction
Facility................................................. 421
Section 1107--Limitation on Use of Funds for Storage
Facility for Russian Fissile Material.................... 421
Section 1108--Limitation on Use of Funds for Weapons
Storage Security......................................... 421
Section 1109--Report to Congress on Issues Regarding
Payment of Taxes or Duties on Assistance Provided to
Russia Under Cooperative Threat Reduction Programs....... 421
Section 1110--Limitation on Obligation of Funds for a
Specified Period......................................... 421
Section 1111--Availability of Funds........................ 421
TITLE XII--MATTERS RELATING TO OTHER NATIONS..................... 422
OVERVIEW....................................................... 422
African Center for Security Studies........................ 422
Arms Control Implementation................................ 422
Defense Logistics Cooperation with the People's Republic of
China.................................................... 424
The Khobar Towers Bombing and Force Protection in Southwest
Asia..................................................... 424
Strategic Force Reductions................................. 426
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 427
Section 1201--Reports to Congress relating to United States
forces in Bosnia......................................... 427
Section 1202--One-year Extension of Counterproliferation
Authorities.............................................. 429
Section 1203--Report on Future Military Capabilities and
Strategy of the People's Republic of China............... 429
Section 1204--Temporary Use of General Purpose Vehicles and
Nonlethal Military Equipment under Acquisition and Cross
Servicing Agreements..................................... 429
DIVISION B--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATIONS................. 431
PURPOSE........................................................ 431
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION OVERVIEW................................. 431
TITLE XXI--ARMY.................................................. 452
SUMMARY........................................................ 452
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST...................................... 452
Improvements of Military Family Housing.................... 452
Planning and Design........................................ 452
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 452
Section 2101--Authorized Army Construction and Land
Acquisition Projects..................................... 452
Section 2102--Family Housing............................... 452
Section 2103--Improvements to Military Family Housing Units 453
Section 2104--Authorization of Appropriations, Army........ 453
Section 2105--Correction In Authorized Uses of Funds, Fort
Irwin, California........................................ 453
TITLE XXII--NAVY................................................. 454
SUMMARY........................................................ 454
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST...................................... 454
Co-Composting Facility, Naval Education & Training Center,
Newport, Rhode Island.................................... 454
Improvements to Military Family Housing.................... 454
Prepositioned Equipment Maintenance Facilities, Blount
Island, Jacksonville, Florida............................ 454
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 455
Section 2201--Authorized Navy Construction and Land
Acquisition Projects..................................... 455
Section 2202--Family Housing............................... 455
Section 2203--Improvements to Military Family Housing Units 455
Section 2204--Authorization of Appropriations, Navy........ 455
Section 2205--Authorization of Military Construction
Project at Naval Air Station, Pascagoula, Mississippi,
for which Funds have been Appropriated................... 455
TITLE XXIII--AIR FORCE........................................... 456
SUMMARY........................................................ 456
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST...................................... 456
Disposal of Real Property, Hancock Field, Syracuse, New
York..................................................... 456
Improvements to Military Family Housing.................... 456
Inter-Departmental Land Transfer, Bellows Air Force
Station, Hawaii.......................................... 456
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 457
Section 2301--Authorized Air Force Construction and Land
Acquisition Projects..................................... 457
Section 2302--Family Housing............................... 457
Section 2303--Improvements to Military Family Housing Units 457
Section 2304--Authorization of Appropriations, Air Force... 457
Section 2305--Authorization of Military Construction
Project at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, for which
Funds Have Been Appropriated............................. 457
TITLE XXIV--DEFENSE AGENCIES..................................... 458
SUMMARY........................................................ 458
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 458
Section 2401--Authorized Defense Agencies Construction and
Land Acquisition Projects................................ 458
Section 2402--Military Housing Planning and Design......... 458
Section 2403--Improvements to Military Family Housing Units 458
Section 2404--Energy Conservation Projects................. 458
Section 2405--Authorization Of Appropriations, Defense
Agencies................................................. 458
Section 2406--Correction in Authorized Use of Funds,
McClellan Air Force Base, California..................... 458
Section 2407--Modification of Authority to carry out Fiscal
Year 1995 Projects....................................... 459
TITLE XXV--NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION INFRASTRUCTURE..... 460
SUMMARY........................................................ 460
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 460
Section 2501--Authorized NATO Construction and Land
Acquisition Projects..................................... 460
Section 2502--Authorization of Appropriations, NATO........ 460
TITLE XXVI--GUARD AND RESERVE FORCES FACILITIES.................. 461
SUMMARY........................................................ 461
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTERESTS..................................... 461
Budget Process to Support the Validation of Military
Construction Requirements for the Army National Guard.... 461
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 462
Section 2601--Authorized Guard and Reserve Construction and
Land Acquisition Projects................................ 462
Section 2602--Authorization of Military Construction
Projects for Which Funds Have Been Appropriated.......... 462
Section 2603--Army Reserve Construction Project, Salt Lake
City, Utah............................................... 462
TITLE XXVII--EXPIRATION AND EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATIONS.......... 463
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 463
Section 2701--Expiration of Authorizations and Amounts
Required to be Specified by Law.......................... 463
Section 2702--Extensions of Authorizations of Certain
Fiscal Year 1995 Projects................................ 463
Section 2703--Extension of Authorizations of Certain Fiscal
Year 1994 Projects....................................... 463
Section 2704--Extension of Authorizations of Certain Fiscal
Year 1993 Projects....................................... 463
Section 2705--Extension of Authorizations of Certain Fiscal
Year 1992 Projects....................................... 463
Section 2706--Extension of Availability of Funds for
Construction of Over-the-Horizon Radar in Puerto Rico.... 464
Section 2707--Effective Date............................... 464
TITLE XXVIII--GENERAL PROVISIONS................................. 465
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST...................................... 465
Force Protection for Overseas Facilities from Chemical and
Biological Weapons....................................... 465
Military Construction in the Republic of Korea and
Burdensharing Support for United States Forces Korea..... 465
Withdrawals of Public Lands for Military Purposes.......... 466
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 466
Subtitle A--Military Construction Program and Military Family
Housing Changes............................................ 466
Section 2801--Use of Mobility Enhancement Funds for
Unspecified Minor Construction........................... 466
Section 2802--Limitation on the Use of Operation and
Maintenance Funds for Facility........................... 466
Section 2803--Leasing of Military Family Housing, United
States Southern Command, Miami, Florida.................. 467
Section 2804--Use of Financial Incentives Provided as Part
of Energy Savings and Water Conservation Activities...... 467
Section 2805--Congressional Notification Requirements
Regarding Use of Department of Defense Housing Funds for
Investments in Nongovernmental Entities.................. 467
Subtitle B--Real Property and Facilities Administration...... 467
Section 2811--Increase in Ceiling for Minor Land
Acquisition Projects..................................... 467
Section 2812--Administrative Expenses for Certain Real
Property Transactions.................................... 467
Section 2813--Disposition of the Proceeds from the Sale of
Air Force Plant 78, Brigham City, Utah................... 467
Subtitle C--Defense Base Closure and Realignment............. 468
Section 2821--Consideration of Military Installations as
Sites for New Federal Facilities......................... 468
Section 2822--Prohibition against Conveyance of Property at
Military Installations to State-Owned Shipping Companies. 468
Subtitle D--Land Conveyances Generally....................... 468
Part I--Army Conveyances................................... 468
Section 2831--Land Conveyance, James T. Roker Army Reserve
Center, Durant, Oklahoma................................. 468
Section 2832--Land Conveyance, Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia.... 468
Section 2833--Expansion of Land Conveyance, Indiana Army
Ammunition Plant, Charlestown, Indiana................... 468
Section 2834--Modification of Land Conveyance, Lompoc,
California............................................... 469
Section 2835--Modification of Land Conveyance, Rocky
Mountain Arsenal, Colorado............................... 469
Section 2836--Correction of Land Conveyance Authority, Army
Reserve Center, Anderson, South Carolina................. 469
Section 2837--Land Conveyance, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.. 469
Section 2838--Land Conveyance, Gibson Army Reserve Center,
Chicago, Illinois........................................ 469
Section 2839--Land Conveyance, Fort Dix, New Jersey........ 469
Part II--Navy Conveyances.................................. 470
Section 2851--Correction of Lease Authority, Naval Air
Station, Meridian, Mississippi........................... 470
Part III--Air Force Conveyances............................ 470
Section 2861--Land Transfer, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. 470
Section 2862--Study of Land Exchange Options, Shaw Air
Force Base, South Carolina............................... 470
Section 2863--Land Conveyance, March Air Force Base,
California............................................... 470
Subtitle E--Other Matters.................................... 470
Section 2881--Repeal of Requirement to Operate Naval
Academy Dairy Farm....................................... 470
Section 2882--Long-Term Lease of Property, Naples, Italy... 471
Section 2883--Designation of Military Family Housing at
Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in Honor of Frank Tejeda,
a Former Member of the House of Representatives.......... 471
TITLE XXIX--SIKES ACT IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS..................... 472
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 472
Section 2902--Definition of Sikes Act for Purposes of
Amendments............................................... 472
Section 2903--Codification of Short Title of Act........... 472
Section 2904--Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans. 472
Section 2905--Review for Preparation of Integrated Natural
Resource Management Plans................................ 472
Section 2906--Annual Reviews and Reports................... 472
Section 2907--Transfer of Wildlife Conservation Fees from
Closed Military Installations............................ 472
Section 2908--Federal Enforcement of Integrated Natural
Resource Management Plans and Enforcement of Other Laws.. 473
Section 2909--Natural Resource Management Services......... 473
Section 2910--Definitions.................................. 473
Section 2911--Cooperative Agreements....................... 473
Section 2912--Repeal of Superseded Provision............... 473
Section 2913--Clerical Amendments.......................... 473
Section 2914--Authorizations of Appropriations............. 473
DIVISION C--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL SECURITY AUTHORIZATIONS
AND OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS....................................... 475
TITLE XXXI--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL SECURITY PROGRAMS...... 475
PURPOSE........................................................ 475
OVERVIEW....................................................... 475
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST...................................... 488
Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative and Control of
Supercomputer Technology................................. 488
Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Facility at the Los
Alamos National Laboratory............................... 488
Defense Asset Acquisition.................................. 489
Defense Environmental Restoration and Waste Management..... 489
Enhanced Surveillance Program at the Production Plants..... 491
Inertial Confinement Fusion................................ 491
Infrastructure and Manufacturing Improvements at Weapons
Production Sites......................................... 492
Initiatives For Proliferation Prevention................... 492
Laboratory Review of Missile Defenses...................... 493
Management and Organization of DOE's Nuclear Weapons
Program.................................................. 493
Materials Protection, Control, and Accounting Program...... 494
Naval Reactors............................................. 494
Nuclear Energy............................................. 495
Operation of F and H canyons............................... 495
Privatization.............................................. 495
Program Direction for Defense Programs..................... 498
Recurring General Provision Relating to Availability of
Funds.................................................... 498
Stockpile Life Extension Program at Y-12 Plant............. 499
Technology Transfer........................................ 499
Transfer of Funds Associated with Security at Rocky Flats
Site and the Fernald Site................................ 499
Tritium Production......................................... 499
Worker and Community Transition............................ 500
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 501
Subtitle A--National Security Program Authorization.......... 501
Section 3101--Weapons Activities........................... 501
Section 3102--Environmental Restoration and Waste
Management............................................... 501
Section 3103--Other Defense Activities..................... 501
Section 3104--Defense Nuclear Waste Disposal............... 501
Subtitle B--Recurring General Provisions..................... 501
Section 3121--Reprogramming................................ 501
Section 3122--Limits on General Plant Projects............. 502
Section 3123--Limits on Construction Projects.............. 502
Section 3124--Fund Transfer Authority...................... 502
Section 3125--Authority for Conceptual and Construction
Design................................................... 502
Section 3126--Authority for Emergency Planning, Design and
Construction Activities.................................. 502
Section 3127--Funds Available for all National Security
Programs of the Department of Energy..................... 503
Section 3128--Authority Relating to Transfer of Defense
Environmental Management Funds........................... 503
Subtitle C--Program Authorizations, Restrictions, and
Limitations................................................ 503
Section 3131--Ballistic Missile Defense National Laboratory
Program.................................................. 503
Subtitle D--Other Matters.................................... 503
Section 3141--Plan for Stewardship, Management, and
Certification of Warheads in the Nuclear Weapons
Stockpile................................................ 503
Section 3142--Repeal of Obsolete Reporting Requirement..... 503
Section 3143--Revisions to Defense Nuclear Facilities
Workforce Restructuring Plan Requirements................ 503
Section 3144--Extension of Authority for Appointment of
Certain Scientific, Engineering, and Technical Personnel. 504
Section 3145--Report on Proposed Contract for Hanford Tank
Waste Vitrification Project.............................. 504
Section 3146--Limitation on Conduct of Subcritical Nuclear
Weapons Tests............................................ 504
Section 3147--Limitation on Use of Certain Funds Until
Future Use Plans are Submitted........................... 505
Section 3148--Plan for External Oversight of National
Laboratories............................................. 505
Section 3149--University-Based Research Center............. 505
Section 3150--Stockpile Stewardship Program................ 505
Section 3151--Reports on Advanced Supercomputer Sales to
Certain Foreign Nations.................................. 505
TITLE XXXII--DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD
AUTHORIZATION.................................................. 507
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 507
Section 3201--Authorization................................ 507
Section 3202--Plan for Transfer of Functions of Defense
Nuclear Facilities Safety Board to Nuclear Regulatory
Commission............................................... 507
TITLE XXXIII--NATIONAL DEFENSE STOCKPILE......................... 508
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 508
Section 3301--Authorized Uses of Stockpile Funds........... 508
Section 3302--Disposal of Beryllium Copper Master Alloy
From National Defense Stockpile.......................... 508
Section 3303--Disposal of Titanium Sponge in National
Defense Stockpile........................................ 508
Section 3304--Conditions on Transfer of Stockpiled Platinum
Reserves for Treasury Use................................ 508
Section 3305--Restrictions on Disposal of Certain Manganese
Ferro.................................................... 508
Section 3306--Required Procedures for Disposal of Strategic
and Critical Materials................................... 509
TITLE XXXIV--NAVAL PETROLEUM RESERVES............................ 510
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 510
Section 3401--Authorization of Appropriations.............. 510
Section 3402--Price Requirement on Sale of Certain
Petroleum During Fiscal Year 1998........................ 510
Section 3403--Termination of Assignment of Navy Officers to
Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves......... 510
TITLE XXXV--PANAMA CANAL COMMISSION.............................. 511
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 511
Subtitle A--Authorization Of Expenditures From Revolving Fund 511
Subtitle B--Facilitation Of Panama Canal Transition.......... 511
Section 3511--Short Title; References...................... 511
Section 3512--Definitions Relating to Canal Transition..... 511
Part I--Transition Matters Relating to Commission Officers
and Employees............................................ 511
Section 3521--Authority for the Administrator of the
Commission to Accept Appointment as Administrator of the
New Panama Canal Authority............................... 511
Section 3522--Post-Canal Transfer Personnel Authorities.... 512
Section 3523--Enhanced Authority of Commission to Establish
Compensation of Commission Officers and Employees........ 512
Section 3524--Travel, Transportation and Subsistence
Expenses for Commission Personnel No Longer Subject to
Federal Travel Regulations............................... 513
Section 3525--Enhanced Recruitment and Retention
Authorities.............................................. 513
Section 3526--Transition Separation Incentive Payments..... 513
Section 3527--Labor-Management Relations................... 513
Section 3528--Availability of Panama Canal Revolving Fund
for Severance Pay for Certain Employees Separated by the
Panama Canal Authority after Canal Transfer Date......... 514
Part II--Transition Matters Relating to Operation and
Administration of Canal.................................. 514
Section 3541--Establishment of Procurement System and Board
of Contract Appeals...................................... 514
Section 3542--Transactions with the Panama Canal Authority. 515
Section 3543--Time Limitations for Filing of Claims for
Damages.................................................. 515
Section 3544--Tolls for Small Vessels...................... 515
Section 3545--Date of Actuarial Evaluation of FECA
Liability................................................ 515
Section 3546--Notaries public.............................. 516
Section 3547--Commercial Services.......................... 516
Section 3548--Transfer from President to Commission of
Certain Regulatory Functions Relating to Employment
Classification Appeals................................... 516
Section 3548--Enhanced Printing Authority.................. 516
Section 3549--Technical and Conforming Amendments.......... 516
TITLE XXXVI--MARITIME ADMINISTRATION............................. 516
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 516
Section 3601--Authorization of Appropriations for Fiscal
Year 1998................................................ 516
Section 3602--Repeal of Obsolete Annual Report Requirement
Concerning Relative Cost of Shipbuilding in the Various
Coastal Districts of the United States................... 517
Section 3603--Provisions Relating to Maritime Security
Fleet Program............................................ 517
Section 3604--Authority to Utilize Replacement Vessels and
Capacity................................................. 517
Section 3605--Authority to Convey National Defense Reserve
Vessel................................................... 518
Departmental Data................................................ 519
Department of Defense Authorization Request.................... 519
Military Construction Authorization Request.................... 519
Committee Position............................................... 520
Communications From Other Committees............................. 520
Fiscal Data...................................................... 528
Congressional Budget Office Estimate........................... 528
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate...................... 528
Authorization of Appropriations.............................. 529
Committee Cost Estimate........................................ 537
Inflation-Impact Statement..................................... 537
Oversight Findings............................................... 537
Constitutional Authority Statement............................... 538
Statement of Federal Mandates.................................... 538
Roll Call Votes.................................................. 538
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 546
Additional and dissenting Views.................................. 768
Dissenting views of Ronald V. Dellums.......................... 768
Additional views of John Spratt................................ 770
Additional views of James Hansen, Tillie Fowler and Solomon
Ortiz........................................................ 773
Additional views of James M. Talent............................ 777
Additional views of Patrick J. Kennedy......................... 779
Additional Views of Van Hilleary, Stephen Buyer, Tillie Fowler,
Roscoe Bartlett, Buck McKeon, Joe Scarborough, Lindsey
Graham, and Jim Ryun......................................... 781
105th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 105-132
_______________________________________________________________________
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998
_______
June 16, 1997.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
Mr. Spence, from the Committee on National Security, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1119]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on National Security, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 1119) to authorize appropriations for fiscal
years 1988 and 1999 for military activities of the Department
of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for
fiscal years 1998 and 1999, and for other purposes, having
considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendments
and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.
The amendments are as follows:
The amendment strikes out all after the enacting clause of
the bill and inserts a new test which appears in italic type in
the reported bill.
The title of the bill is amended to reflect the amendment
to the text of the bill.
EXPLANATION OF THE COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
The committee adopted an amendment in the nature of a
substitute during the consideration of H.R. 1119. The remainder
of the report discusses the bill, as amended.
PURPOSE
The bill would--(1) Authorize appropriations for fiscal
year 1998 for procurement and for research, development, test
and evaluation (RDT&E); (2) Authorize appropriations for fiscal
year 1998 for operation and maintenance (O&M) and for working
capital funds; (3) Authorize for fiscal year 1998: (a) the
personnel strength for each active duty component of the
military departments; (b) the personnel strength for the
Selected Reserve for each reserve component of the armed
forces; (c) the military training student loads for each of the
active and reserve components of the military departments; (4)
Modify various elements of compensation for military personnel
and impose certain requirements and limitations on personnel
actions in the defense establishment; (5) Authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 1998 for military construction
and family housing; (6) Authorize appropriations for fiscal
year 1998 for the Department of Energy National Security
Programs; (7) Modify provisions related to the National Defense
Stockpile; (8) Authorize appropriations for fiscal year 1998
for the operation of the Panama Canal Commission; and (9)
Authorize appropriations for fiscal year 1998 for the Maritime
Administration.
RELATIONSHIP OF AUTHORIZATION AND APPROPRIATIONS
Importantly, the bill does not generally provide budget
authority. The bill authorizes appropriations. Subsequent
appropriation acts provide budget authority. The bill addresses
the following categories in the Department of Defense budget:
procurement; research, development, test and evaluation;
operation and maintenance; working capital funds, military
personnel; and military construction and family housing. The
bill also addresses Department of Energy National Security
Programs and the Maritime Administration.
Active duty and reserve personnel strengths authorized in
this bill and legislation affecting compensation for military
personnel determine the remaining appropriation requirements of
the Department of Defense. However, this bill does not provide
authorization of specific dollar amounts for personnel.
SUMMARY OF AUTHORIZATION IN THE BILL
The President requested budget authority of $265.6 billion
for the national defense budget function for fiscal year 1998.
Of this amount, the President requested $251.0 billion for the
Department of Defense (including $8.4 billion for military
construction and family housing) and $13.6 billion for
Department of Energy national security programs and the Defense
Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.
The committee recommends an overall level of $268.2 billion
in budget authority. This amount is an increase of
approximately $2.6 billion from the amount requested for the
national defense budget function by the President. The
committee's recommendation is consistent with the amounts
established in the budget resolution for fiscal year 1998 for
the national security budget function.
SUMMARY TABLE OF AUTHORIZATIONS
The following table provides a summary of the amounts
requested and that would be authorized for appropriation in the
bill (in the column labeled ``Budget Authority Implication of
Committee Recommendation'') and the committee's estimate of how
the committee's recommendations relate to the budget totals for
the national defense function. For purposes of estimating the
budget authority implications of committee action, the table
reflects the numbers contained in the President's budget for
proposals not in the committee's legislative jurisdiction.
Offset Folios 24 to 29 Insert here
<SKIP PAGES = 006>
RATIONALE FOR THE COMMITTEE BILL
H.R. 1119, the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 1998, reflects the committee's continued efforts to
manage the risks that continued force downsizing and budget
reductions pose for U.S. national security interests in an
uncertain world. The committee and the Congress have helped
bring a measure of stability to the U.S. defense program over
the past two years, moving to restore some balance between the
need to maintain sufficiently large and capable forces today
and the need to modernize and introduce innovative new
technologies and concepts that will provide a basis for
continued American military superiority in future.
The committee believes that the fundamental dilemma facing
the Department of Defense remains constant: how to maintain a
viable all-volunteer force in an environment where the number,
scope and duration of military missions, especially
peacekeeping and humanitarian missions, continue to grow while
military forces and defense budgets continue to decline.
Although the Department's recent Quadrennial Defense Review
(QDR) recognized these realities, the long-standing gap between
strategy and resources will persist and, in fact, is likely to
widen. The National Defense Panel (NDP), an independent body
selected by the Administration and Congress to assess the QDR,
summarized the problem when it concluded that the QDR exposed a
``risk in defense resources.'' In particular, the NDP concluded
that the QDR's plan to improve modernization funding was based
upon ``tenuous'' assumptions which ``collec tively . . .
represent a budget risk which could potentially undermine the
entire Defense Strategy.''
The QDR acknowledges that a sound national military
strategy is based upon protecting the ability of U.S. military
forces to respond to today's challenges while also preparing
for the challenges of an uncertain future. This strategy
requires three principle tasks of the Department of Defense.
First, U.S. military forces must help to maintain the security
and stability among powerful nations that is by and large the
result of the American-led victory in the Cold War. Second,
U.S. forces must protect today's security and stability from
lesser threats, be they smaller nations, ethnic conflicts,
terrorism or myriad other sources. Finally, U.S. forces must
begin to prepare now for the possibility of future great-power
conflicts that may be fought with military forces quite
different from today's.
This first task of maintaining current security and
stability has been articulated in a clear set of standards that
account for the size and structure of today's U.S. military
forces. These standards include the need to maintain
approximately 100,000 troops both in Europe and in East Asia,
and sufficient forces available to deploy, fight and rapidly
win two nearly simultaneous major wars. The committee continues
to support these standards. The troop levels in Europe and Asia
represent an enduring commitment by the United States to these
vital regions, while the capability to fight two wars
simultaneously ensures that the United States will be able to
respond to crises without compromising the ability to maintain
stability elsewhere. With the continued imminent threats in
Korea and the Persian Gulf, this two-war capability must remain
a basic building block of U.S. military forces.
At the same time, the dominance of U.S. conventional
military forces and the continued strength of our nuclear
deterrent is compelling adversaries to be more innovative and
aggressive. Countering more diffuse and less traditional
threats accounts for the second principle task of U.S. armed
forces. Terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction, tribal and ethnicconflicts, the potential for
``information warfare'' and other asymmetric threats are placing new
burdens upon the U.S. military. In the past year, the terrorist bombing
of the Khobar Towers complex in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia has highlighted
the need for improved force protection measures for U.S. units deployed
abroad. The proliferation of ballistic missile technology and weapons
of mass destruction also has accelerated in the past year, and the
committee continues to believe that efforts to develop and deploy
effective defenses against such threats must remain a national
priority.
The QDR also has acknowledged, under the rubric of
``smaller-scale contingencies,'' that U.S. military forces will
be engaged in a growing number of peacekeeping and humanitarian
missions. Because the Administration regularly has deployed the
U.S. military on such missions, the QDR concluded that these
lesser contingencies will represent a significant element of
U.S. military operations over the next decade. The QDR also
recognized the strains that multiple peacekeeping and
humanitarian deployments place on U.S. troops, their families,
military equipment and training for combat. However, based upon
its continued attention to the growing readiness problems that
U.S. forces confront, the committee is skeptical that the
Department can maintain the current level of operational and
personnel tempo without sacrificing critical military
capabilities. Units and troops absorbed in repeated
peacekeeping operations are unable to train effectively, for
the high-intensity combat missions necessary to execute the
national military strategy.
The committee has long been concerned that the third
principle task of the U.S. armed forces--preparing today for
the eventuality of future great-power conflicts--has been
undervalued by the administration. By contrast, the committee
considers the maintenance of peace and stability among the
world's most powerful nations to be America's unique
contribution to global security, and of critical importance to
the nation's ability to protect its interests around the world.
However, today's security is the historical exception rather
than the rule. As historian Donald Kagan testified before the
committee, ``War has been a persistent part of human experience
since before the birth of civilization. In 1968, Will and Ariel
Durant calculated that there had been only 268 years free of
war in the previous 3,421.'' There is every reason to believe
that the current epoch should be viewed not as a ``post-war''
period, but instead as an interwar period. With history as a
teacher, it is only prudent to assume that a large power or
coalition of powers eventually will contest a vital U.S.
national security interest.
While the committee cannot predict with certainty who this
challenger will be or exactly when the challenge will arise, it
is possible to identify what our enduring national interests
are, for they have remained constant. Even in the post-Cold War
era and absent a global competitor like the Soviet Union, the
United States retains its traditional interests in protecting
the American homeland and its people; preventing a hostile
power or coalition of hostile powers from dominating Europe,
East Asia and the energy-producing regions of the world; and
protecting the international order of nation-states. These
abiding interests preceded, and have survived, the Cold War.
The most serious and sustained threats to these enduring
interests can only come from other powers capable of fielding
substantial conventional military forces or nuclear weapons.
While the QDR represents an improvement over the
Administration's 1993 Bottom-Up Review, the QDR presents an
overly optimistic view of the possibility of future challenges
to America's core security interests. The committee believes
that a sound national military strategy must account not only
for the likelihood of threats but also for the gravity of any
threat to these core security interests.
In the past year, the committee has focused on the
challenges posed by China--an emerging power--and Russia--a
once and perhaps future power--to United States global
interests. While neither nation is currently an enemy of the
United States, they do represent the nations most likely and
able to accumulate military power sufficient to challenge U.S.
vital national security interests. The QDR's projection that
neither China nor Russia is likely to emerge as a regional
great power until beyond 2015 is questionable.
The committee remains supportive of efforts to bolster the
democratic process in Russia. The collapse of the Soviet Union
has created an opportunity to more closely tie Russia to the
world's democracies. However, the committee believes that
Russia's future will be shaped less by U.S. policies than by
whether Russia decides to remain an independent power pursuing
its own strategic goals, driven by its own history and
character, or decides to form working partnerships with the
United States and its allies. The current Russian experiment in
quasi-democracy is struggling against a centuries-long
tradition of autocracy, and the United States must remain
guarded in assessing prospects for the experiment's success.
Moreover, history has demonstrated that the transition to
democracy often proves a tumultuous and violent process. A vast
but collapsed empire, governed by a weak central authority and
armed with an arsenal of nuclear weaponry under questionable
control, Russia must provide cause for great caution. Even if
Russia succeeds in becoming more fully democratic, it still may
establish security goals that conflict with those of the United
States.
China is an emerging power and poses an inverse problem.
The Administration believes that the nature of Chinese power is
not yet determined, and that China's external relations can be
shaped through engagement to allow it to make a positive
contribution to regional stability and to act as a responsible
member of the international community. The committee takes a
guarded view, more consistent with the Department of Defense
report prepared pursuant to the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 1997. The report concluded that China's
goal is to become one of the world's great powers, that China
will be securely established as the leading political power in
East Asia early in the coming century and that China will
``build its military power to the point where it can engage and
defeat any potential enemy within the region with its
conventional forces and can deter any global threat to China's
national security.'' Whether or not an emerging China becomes
an enemy of the United States and its allies remains to be
seen, but China's stated strategic goals would appear to
challenge America's current position as a powerful presence for
peace and stability in East Asia.
The committee believes that the process of managing
strategic risk must be shaped first and foremost by the risks
of renewed great-power rivalries. The surest way to optimize
the chances of an American strategic partnership with either
Russia or China is for the United States to continue to be the
world's most powerful force for peace and stability. However,
the committee also recognizes that the assumption that either
Russia or China will acquiesce in American global leadership is
a dangerous premise upon which to base U.S. security strategy
for the coming century.
The making of strategy has always been a process of
managing risk. In a post-Cold War environment of shrinking
military forces and constrained defense budgets, the imperative
to maintain strategic priorities grows while the margin for
error gets smaller. The QDR strategy is consistent with the
committee's view of the role America should play in the post-
Cold Warworld, and the committee is hopeful that the review
might provide a more stable foundation for maintaining the armed forces
necessary for the nation to meet these future challenges. However, the
continued decline in defense spending means that the committee's two-
year-old effort to begin revitalizing U.S. military forces will take
longer and will involve higher risk to the nation.
The projected real decline in future defense budgets,
assumed in the QDR and ratified in the recent budget agreement,
adds to strategic risk. Neither the Administration's fiscal
year 1998 defense budget request nor the defense plan
established in the QDR adequately address budgetary shortfalls
that exacerbate the strategic risks inherent in a dangerous
world. The QDR has not allayed the committee's skepticism
regarding the Administration's commitment to establishing a
defense program that balances the pillars of a sound defense
program: the maintenance of sufficient combat forces in a state
of readiness necessary to execute the national military
strategy, the guarantee of a decent quality of military life
and an adequate program of equipment modernization to ensure
for the future the advantages U.S. military force enjoy today.
If the defense program is to be truly brought into balance, and
the harmony between current readiness, quality of life, and
modernization restored, more dramatic actions are demanded.
READINESS
The committee reaffirms its commitment to maintaining a
high state of military readiness. In past years, the committee
has added significant funds to restore pay raises, increase the
level of combat training, improve the level of equipment
maintenance and undertake many other initiatives to compel the
Administration to address readiness problems. However, the
readiness of U.S. armed forces, particularly for the high-
intensity combat missions central to the nation's military
strategy, has continued to erode. It is apparent that the high
pace of military operations, due in large part to the burdens
of repeated deployments for peacekeeping and humanitarian
missions, and declining budgets are taking a heavy toll on U.S.
military forces. Four trends are salient. First, soldiers,
sailors, airmen and Marines are working harder and longer to
execute their peacetime missions due to an inherent tension
between personnel and resources shortages and the increased
pace of operations. Military personnel and their families are
paying an increasingly higher human price from being repeatedly
asked to ``do more with less.'' Second, the quantity and
quality of combat training is being compromised, especially for
the most demanding mission--to fight and win tomorrow's high-
intensity wars. Third, the quality of military life continues
to erode to the point where a growing number of talented and
dedicated military personnel and their families are questioning
the desirability of a life in uniform. And fourth, military
equipment is aging prematurely due to extended use and reduced
maintenance. Budget cuts and the increased operational tempo
have started to affect the reliability and availability of
existing fleets of equipment. In sum, these trends depict a
significant, systemic readiness problem that will continue to
undermine the preparedness of U.S. military forces.
The committee bill represents an effort to manage the risk
associated with a deepening readiness problem by protecting
funding for high-intensity combat training and maintenance of
equipment and infrastructure. In addition, the committee
believes that the Administration's personnel budget request
will not be able to provide the forces needed to execute the
national military strategy and to support current operational
tempo while providing a decent quality of military life. Nor
does the committee accept the QDR's end-strength
recommendations, which are likely to exacerbate the personnel
readiness problems outlined above. To more prudently manage the
risk associated with the problems inherent in the
Administration's budget request, the committee has maintained
the end-strength floors established in 1996 and continues to
protect what it believes to be prudent active-duty force
levels. The committee also has continued its commitment to
readiness by adding funds for depot maintenance, real property
maintenance and mobility enhancements needed to maintain a
power-projection force capable of rapid reaction to world
crises.
QUALITY OF LIFE
In past, the committee has considered the quality of
military life to be an essential component of a balanced
defense program, and has strengthened military housing
programs, programs to reduce out-of-pocket costs for military
personnel and their families, and has funded full pay raises,
whether requested by the Administration or not. Nonetheless,
many troops and their families have grown increasingly
dissatisfied with the quality of military life. Much of this
dissatisfaction stems from the stress of extended time away
from home resulting from almost continuous peacekeeping and
other humanitarian missions.
Quality of life is inherently difficult to quantify. It is
a complex construct, reflected in a delicate mix of variables
such as balancing family life and military service, decent
housing, adequate pay and benefits, reliable and affordable
health care and many other factors. Providing a decent quality
of military life is essential to recruit, retain and maintain
the professional, all-volunteer force upon which U.S. military
strategy relies. Since the 1970s, when the draft was
terminated, the compact between the nation and the men and
women who serve it in uniform has rested upon the proposition
that soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines and their families
will be provided with a standard of living that approximates
that of middle-class America.
However, there is a widespread belief among service
personnel and their families that the quality of their lives is
eroding. As a consequence, many in the military are beginning
to question whether the rewards of military life are worth the
mounting hardships. Perhaps the leading cause of
dissatisfaction is increased family separations. Given that 65
percent of the force, officer and enlisted, is married, the
choice between professional requirements and personal needs is
becoming more complicated. One Navy spouse summarized the
problem when she told the committee, ``In such a high
[operations tempo] environment, the best marriages, the ones
that survive, are those in which people learn to live apart.''
The services' attempts to balance quality of life with
other factors reveal just how difficult a management problem
this is. For example, the commander of the Army's III Corps at
Fort Hood, Texas, has demanded that important training time and
resources be diverted to create opportunities for soldiers to
attend to basic and essential activities of family life, such
as parent-teacher conferences. This is a poignant and
disturbing example of the dilemmas facing military families.
Since the committee began reporting on the growing readiness
problem, the Department of Defense has begun to recognize the
problem, and has introduced a number of measures to better
manage the strains of high operational and personnel tempos.
The committee notes these small belated steps with
satisfaction, but believes that more aggressive actions will be
necessary.
MODERNIZATION AND INNOVATION
A third critical component of a balanced defense program is
ensuring that U.S. military personnel are equipped with modern
technology. There is widespread general consensus that the
``procurement holiday'' of the past five years must come to an
end. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have identified a goal of $60
billion per year in procurement spending as the approximate
funding level needed to recapitalize the U.S. armed forces--a
figure reconfirmed by the QDR. The committee continues to
support this objective, but continues to doubt the
Administration's commitment.
In the context of trying to manage risk in an environment
of constrained resources, the committee believes it is
necessary to set modernization priorities that reflect
strategic priorities. Systems that promise only marginal
improvement over those currently in the field should, and
eventually will, give way to those systems that demonstrate
more cost-effective and strategically relevant capabilities.
There is no better example than tactical aircraft programs,
where plans far exceed projected budgets and the half-measures
recommended in the QDR do not address the problem.
The committee was pleased to see, in several instances,
that the QDR did make important strides toward aligning
modernization priorities with strategic need. For example, the
QDR's recognition that the Administration's own ``three-plus-
three'' national missile defense program was substantially
underfunded confirms the committee's approach to this important
program over the past several years. The committee stands by
its belief that continued global proliferation of ballistic
missile technology makes the deployment of an effective
national missile defense system of the highest priority.
However, the committee continues to question the
Administration's commitment to either national or theater
missile defenses. Despite claims advanced in the fiscal year
1998 defense budget request that theater defense programs were
being accelerated, funding for these programs was cut by more
than $400 million from current spending levels.
DEFENSE REFORM
Serious readiness, quality of life and modernization
problems and shortfalls add increased urgency to the
committee's continuing efforts to reform the Department of
Defense establishment to create a smaller, smarter and
streamlined bureaucracy. In an environment where combat forces
continue to be reduced while they are deploy more often, the
committee believes that it is untenable to continue devoting 60
percent of the defense budget to support and infrastructure. If
the goal to reestablish a defense program balanced among the
need to maintain ready forces and to ensure a decent quality of
military life today while modernizing U.S. military forces for
tomorrow is to become a reality, the Administration must become
a more active partner in pursuing meaningful defense reform.
Defense reform is no longer just about being more
efficient. Rather, it is about survival in an environment where
failure to achieve real defense reform will result in degraded
combat capability for lack of adequate resources. The committee
initiated a number of reforms during the 104th Congress in the
areas of acquisition policy, infrastructure and support
services, and defense structure and organization. All were
intended to increase overall efficiency within the Department
while, at the same time, encouraging the shift of resources
from the Department's support ``tail'' to the services' combat
``tooth'' in an effort to preserve the military's warfighting
effectiveness.
The committee acknowledges Secretary Cohen's promise to
pursue defense reform through the establishment of the Task
Force on Defense Reform, but the committee notes that the
results of that new review will not be known until late in the
year. While additional reviews may be warranted, it is the
committee's view that in the aftermath of the 1995 Commission
on Roles and Mission, the 1996 Defense Science Board Task Force
on Outsourcing and Privatization, and the 1997 QDR, the time
for aggressive action is now.
To accelerate the process of reform, the committee reported
H.R. 1778, the Defense Reform Act of 1997, to the House of
Representatives. This bill pursues meaningful reform in three
basic areas: streamlining the defense bureaucracy, improving
defense business practices and adding a measure of common sense
to the environmental regulations governing the Department's
operations. Chief among the bureaucratic reforms are
initiatives to reduce headquarters staffs by 25 percent and the
defense acquisition workforce by more than 40 percent.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, these reforms
will save $15 billion over the next five years and an
additional $5 billion each year thereafter without taking into
account the additional potential savings resulting from the
mandated increases in competition of defense support services.
Finally, the environmental reforms will not merely help to
control the rapidly escalating cost--now $12 billion per year--
of defense environmental clean-up efforts, they will ensure
that these funds actually are spent on restoration work itself,
rather than to satisfy excessive and redundant regulatory
requirements. The committee recognizes the need for
environmental restoration of former military and defense
installations, but believes that taxpayer dollars should be
devoted to the needed cleanup work, not on paperwork.
CONCLUSION
Secretary of Defense Cohen has admitted that the defense
posture outlined in the Quadrennial Defense Review will allow
U.S. forces to execute the national military strategy, but at
increased risk. He also quantified the budgetary risk--the
amount of defense spending required to close the strategy-
resource gap--at approximately $15 billion per year. While the
committee believes that the annual shortfall is greater than
$15 billion, what was most striking about the Secretary's
estimate was the relatively small size of the budget shortfall
in comparison to the tremendous strategic risk associated with
not addressing it. At $15 billion, the estimate represents
approximately one-tenth of 1 percent of the federal budget. Yet
the military, strategic and political risks associated with not
fixing this shortfall are monumental. For the military, the
budget shortfall translates into declining readiness,
diminished quality of military life and postponed modernization
problems described above. The continued erosion of military
capability will threaten the nation's capabilities to protect
and promote its interests around the world and will inevitably
lead to the loss of American international influence. In the
committee's view, the risks of inaction or failure far outweigh
the cost of addressing shortfalls in the defense budget--
whether $15 billion per year, or more.
Although the QDR was completed too late to shape the
Administration's fiscal year 1998 defense budget request or to
factor significantly in the committee's deliberations, H.R.
1119 reflects the committee's mounting sense of urgency to
restore a proper balance among readiness, quality of military
life and modernization and to push the Department of Defense in
the directionof meaningful reform. The nation cannot afford
status quo defense budgets. The way forward is uncertain and involves
great risks. The committee would prefer to be raising and maintaining
military forces capable of an unquestioned response to challenges
anywhere in the world, rather than managing budgetary, military and
strategic risk with no margin for error. In this context, H.R. 1119
reflects the committee's effort to address serious shortfalls while
managing risk in a resource-constrained environment.
HEARINGS
Committee consideration of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998 results from extensive
hearings that began on February 12, 1997 and that were
completed on May 22, 1997. The full committee conducted 11
sessions. In addition, a total of 54 sessions were conducted by
five different subcommittees and two panels of the committee on
various titles of the bill.
DIVISION A--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
TITLE I--PROCUREMENT
OVERVIEW
The last few years have seen a vigorous debate concerning
the adequacy of the Clinton Administration budgets for defense
modernization. Administration officials argue that a
``holiday'' in weapons procurement was justified due to the
many new weapons purchased in the 1980s and to not having to
replace older weapons retired as a result of the drawdown in
the size of the force. The 104th Congress reasoned otherwise:
namely, that the disproportionate cuts in the equipment
modernization accounts jeopardized the technological edge that
was so brilliantly demonstrated in the Persian Gulf War.
Consequently, Congress added $11 billion to these accounts in
the fiscal year 1996 and fiscal year 1997 National Defense
Authorization Acts (Public Laws 104-106 and 104-201)--a 15
percent increase over the budget request for each of those two
years--despite the Administration's opposition to doing so. In
taking these actions, the 104th Congress sought the expert
advice of the military service chiefs on how best to apply the
additional funds to the most urgent unfunded modernization
priorities. Regrettably, no sooner had these acts had been
signed into law than the Administration proposed to use the
added modernization funds to pay for the operations and
readiness shortages contained in their budgets.
This same pattern continues with the fiscal year 1998
budget request. Attainment of even modest modernization
increases has again been deferred until ``next year.'' Despite
obvious and compelling evidence of procurement shortfalls and
despite the fact that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
concluded that, beginning with fiscal year 1998, the Department
required $60 billion annually to keep the force modernized, the
fiscal year 1998 budget request of $42.6 billion represents a
cut of $1.5 billion from the budget enacted for fiscal year
1997 and is $2.9 billion below the spending levels forecast in
the President's budget for fiscal year 1998 just last year.
Furthermore, the budget request marks the fourth consecutive
year that the Administration has reduced the fiscal year 1998
procurement figure--by a cumulative total of $14.5 billion--
relative to its earlier projections.
The committee notes that the recently-released Quadrennial
Defense Review (QDR) acknowledges that the planned ``rebound''
in procurement ``has been repeatedly postponed in recent
budgets as increases previously projected for the procurement
accounts have been eroded by unexpected demands for additional
funding in operational activities.'' The committee is dismayed
by the fact that the
Department believes this shift in resources from modernization
to operations will continue and that procurement funding,
instead of growing to $60 billion per year, could be expected
to stall in the range of $45-$50 billion. The committee further
notes that this belief is reinforced by the independent
National Defense Panel's critique of the QDR, which found the
QDR modernization plan risky due to tenuous assumptions of
further base closures and savings from acquisition and other
infrastructure reforms.
Notwithstanding the Administration's lack of resolve to
deal proactively with the continuing modernization problem, the
committee--for the third year in a row--has added funds
significantly in excess of the procurement budget request.
Moreover, in formulating its proposed addition of $3.8 billion,
the committee has also once again been responsive to meeting
the unfunded priorities submitted by the various military
service chiefs of staff. However, because the committee
believes that the QDR has not made the correct decisions
regarding tactical aircraft and the B-2, it has taken different
positions on these two issues. Furthermore, the committee
disagrees with the Department's assessment of the Arsenal Ship
demonstrator's utility and its proposed teaming arrangement for
construction of the New Attack Submarine. These topics are
discussed at length in the report.
Offset Folio 40--Insert here
<SKIP PAGES = 001>
Aircraft Procurement, Army
Overview
The budget request contained $1,162.5 million for Aircraft
Procurement, Army in fiscal year 1998. The committee recommends
authorization of $1,535.3 million for fiscal year 1998.
The committee recommends approval of the request except for
those programs adjusted in the following table. Unless
otherwise specified, adjustments are without prejudice and
based on affordability considerations.
Offset Folios 42 to 43 Insert here
<SKIP PAGES = 002>
Items of Special Interest
Aircraft survivability equipment (ASE)
The budget request contained $900,000 for project
management support and fielding of ASE systems, however, no
funding was included for upgrades to the Aircraft Survivability
Equipment Trainer IV (ASET IV).
The ASET IV is a ground-based, mobile aviation threat
emitter simulation and training system, which teaches aircrews
to recognize surface-to-air-missile (SAM) and anti-aircraft
artillery threats in order to employ the correct aircraft
threat avoidance tactics. ASET IV systems are currently fielded
at major training centers throughout the United States and
Germany and require that an aircraft have a fully operational
ASE suite of sensors on board for training. The committee
understands that in its present configuration, however, the
ASET IV cannot locate, identify, or track aircraft at night nor
can it simulate the most current infrared (IR) SAM threats,
thereby limiting aircrews to daylight training against older IR
SAM threats, which is not representative of the Army's ``train
as you fight concept.''
The committee is aware of upgrades to the ASET IV system
that would enable nighttime training through the incorporation
of a night vision camera and provide an up-to-date IR SAM
threat emitter simulation capability. Based on the Army's
requirement for forces to train in realistic threat
environments, the committee recommends an increase of $14.8
million for upgrading eight ASET IV systems with IR SAM threat
simulators and night vision cameras.
Aircraft survivability equipment (ASE) modifications
The budget request contained $4.6 million for ASE
modifications, of which $2.2 million was to complete the
installation of AN/AVR-2A Laser Detecting Sets (LDS) on the AH-
64 Apache. However, no funding was requested for procurement of
additional LDSs for other types of aircraft despite the fact
that only 413 of the required 2,063 systems have been fielded
by the Army.
The LDS detects, identifies, and characterizes threats from
laser-targeted weapons 360-degrees-around and plus-or-minus 45
degrees above-and-below an aircraft. It is the only device
procured by the Army that provides warning to helicopter crews
when they have been illuminated by a laser-targeted weapon. As
a result of the increasing proliferation of laser technology,
the committee believes the Army should fulfill its requirement
for these unique detection systems as soon as possible and,
therefore, recommends an increase of $15.0 million for
continued procurement of LDS for installation on UH-60
Blackhawks, MH-60K Blackhawks, and MH-47E Chinooks.
C-12 cargo aircraft modifications
The budget request contained $600,000 for avionics and
cockpit upgrades to C-12 cargo aircraft.
The C-12 is based throughout the world and is one of the
Army's primary passenger-carrying aircraft. The C-12 is
expected to remain active in service for at least the next 20
years and wi