Hard.Copy - 05 December 1997
ARTICLE CITATIONS GATHERED FROM COMMERCIALLY PUBLISHED JOURNALS AND NEWSLETTERS.India, Pakistan Seen Developing New Ballistic Missiles. Aerospace Daily, Nov 26, 1997, pp 311-312 India and Pakistan may be planning a new, indigenous ballistic missile according to a recent Pentagon report. Also, according to this report, Pakistan may be constructing a facility for production of a new 300km range ballistic missile. Iran's Missile Threat Is A Year Away, Weldon Says. Aerospace Daily, Nov 26, 1997, p 316 According to Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA) Iran with technical help from Russia and China will be able to deploy a missile which may be a real threat to troops in Europe and Asia. BMDO To Launch TMD Targets From C-130. Aerospace Daily, Nov 26, 1997, p 316 After some concern over launching target missiles from the Florida keys, BMDO has decided to use C-130 aircraft to launch targets to test TMD. Odeen Hopes '99 Budget Will Be First Commitment To NDP. Aerospace Daily, Dec 03, 1997, pp 337-337A Although the fiscal 1999 budget request has already been drafted, Phil Odeen, chairman of the NDP would like to see money added before it's finalized next year. The report put together by the NDP suggests that $5 to $10b a year will be required to carry out the kinds of military operations it will need around 2020. OSD Considers $44 Million For MEADS In FY99. Aerospace Daily, Dec 05, 1997, pp 353-354 Within the next day or two the OSD is expected to sign a PBD providing $44m for the international Medium Extended Area Defense System (MEADS) for FY99. MEADS is a cooperative effort between the US, Germany, and Italy to develop a mobile theater missile defense system. Weldon Blasts Contractors, Military For Handling Of Missile Defense. Aerospace Daily, Dec 05, 1997, pp 351, 354 In a symposium Rep Curt Weldon (R-PA) blasted a packed room of senior military officials and defense contractors for focusing on bottom lines and petty turf wars rather than coming together to support theater and national ballistic missile programs. Air Force Opens New Space Center. Aviation Week & Space Technology, William B. Scott, Nov 24, 1997, pp 71-72 The Space Operations Center at Vandenberg AFB provides a better means to monitor the status of on-orbit satellites, missile warning assets and launch system plans and schedules. Directives to be carried out by the 14th's wings, such as moving a satellite in orbit or altering ballistic missile warning radar coverage, will be communicated by the center through a new Space Tasking Order. Distributed daily, the STO will emulate Air Tasking Orders now used by air combat forces to synchronize assets and missions. Washington Outlook: Don't Give Up. Aviation Week & Space Technology, James R. Asker, Nov 24, 1997, p 21 Nineteen House members have written to President Clinton and SecDef Cohen asking them to consider revitalizing Clementine 2 and the military spaceplane in FY99. The letters say commercial benefits are likely from the technology Clementine 2 would test in examining an asteroid. Hera Target Missile Fails, Future Flights On Hold. BMD Monitor, Nov 28, 1997, pp 381-390 The first Hera target missile launched from Ft. Wingate failed to ignite and had to be destroyed immediately after booster separation. The flight was the inaugural launch of 80-100 planned missile flights across New Mexico to White Sands Missile Range. The vertically launched 13-ton missile has SCUD-like flight characteristics and will be the target for the PAC-3 years. BMDO Considers LSI Proposals. BMD Monitor, Nov 28, 1997, pp 395-396 Proposals for the NMD Lead Systems Integrator are being put under a microscope by officials from BMDO and the NMD Joint Program Office. The NMD program is still in the concept definition phase with the same two contractors and is about to enter the execution phase. Army Air And Missile Defense Gains Insight From Exercises. BMD Monitor, Nov 28, 1997, p 394 The Army is using the results from several past exercises as insight into the planning for a future Army. TMD experiments in conjunction with Roving Sands is one of these experiments which has underlined the need for integrated training. GAO Says Revise Navy Area Defense Acquisition Plan. BMD Monitor, Nov 28, 1997, p 398 The GAO wants BMDO to revise the Navy Area Defense Acquisition plan and operating testing schedule before the service jumps into production of the Standard Missile-2 Block IV-A and run into extra cost. The DoD disagrees and believes postponing acquisition is contrary to the purpose of the Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) under federal law. NMD Acquisition Baseline Established At $6.6 Billion. BMD Monitor, Nov 28, 1997, p 396 The initial NMD program acquisition baseline has been established at $6.6b, as released by DoD on a Selected Acquisition report. The NMD baseline is the point from which future changes will be measured. BMDO Drops Option To Launch Targets From Florida Keys. BMD Monitor, Nov 28, 1997, p 394 BMDO Director LtGen Lyles has chosen to launch TMD targets from over the Gulf of Mexico rather than the Florida Keys. This decision came after a review of costs, testing requirements, budgets and public environmental concerns. BMDO Rejects Land-Based Missile Tests From Florida Keys. Defense Daily, Greg Caires, Nov 25, 1997, p 7 BMDO has decided that it will launch theater missile defense targets from aircraft rather than from a land-based site in the Florida Keys. "This decision was made after review of factors including cost savings, testing requirements, projected budgets, as well as consideration of environmental concerns expressed by the public during the course of the analysis," according to a statement from BMDO. Decision On MEADS Future Is Imminent, Hamre Says. Defense Daily. Vago Muradian and Bryan Bender, Dec 05, 1997, pp 7-9 A decision whether to effectively terminate US participation in the multinational MEADS program will be made soon. The possibility that the US may walk away from the program has angered German and Italy, who earlier this week had been assured that the program was in sound shape, but that fielding may have bee delayed two years, from 2005 to at least 2007 because of budget problems. Navy Tests Land Attack Version Of Standard Missile. Defense Daily, Bryan Bender, Dec 04, 1997, p 2 On November 21, the Navy successfully test fired a modified version of its Standard missile, demonstrating that the surface-to-air missile can also be used to attack land targets, according to service officials. Pentagon Mulls Killing MEADS, Trimming THAAD Funding. Defense Daily, Vago Muradian and Greg Caires, Dec 01, 1997, pp 7-8 The Defense Department is considering killing FY99 funding for the MEADS program--effectively terminating the multinational effort--and cutting FY99 funding for the THAAD system by nearly $100 million. The moves are part of Program Budget Decision (PBD) 224, which is being considered by Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre. Lockheed Martin: Tight Schedule Is Biggest Risk In NMD Program. Defense Daily, Brian Shannon, Nov 25, 1997, pp 3-4 According to Doug Graham, director of business development and international programs for defensive missile systems for Lockheed Martin, the riskiest part of the National Missile Defense (NMD) Lead System Integrator (LSI) is the program's tight schedule. Under the "3+3" NMD schedule, three years of development will be followed by a deployment decision. Graham described developing and deploying an NMD system in six years as "pretty tough but do-able." Special Report: Appropriators Preempted Authorizers On Key Choices. Defense Daily, Sheila Foote, Dec 02, 1997, pp 1-4 In the second part of this special report, the writer discusses the very serious question of how relevant the whole authorization process is when for the second time in three years, congressional appropriators upstaged the authorizers by passing the FY98 Defense Appropriations Bill while the House and Senate defense authorization committees were still hammering out their differences. NDP Report Seen By Congress As A Positive Step In Defense Debate. Defense Daily, Sheila Foote and Vago Muradian, Dec 03, 1997, pp 7-8 Although some congressional aides criticized the National Defense Panel's report because it does not go further in making specific recommendations on program to cut, key legislators hailed the report's recommendations on transforming today's military force to an information-age military. Tough Year Raises Questions About Authorizers' Influence. Defense Daily, Sheila Foote, Dec 01, 1997, pp 1-6 This is the first of two articles on the defense authorizing committees' effectiveness and their ability to influence defense spending and policy decisions. US-India Relations Falter: New Delhi Indefinitely Delays Military-To-Military Cooperation. Defense News, Barbara Opall; Vivek Raghuvanshi, Nov 24, 1997, pp 3, 34 In a recent visit to India, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright focused primarily on issues of nuclear and ballistic missile programs, describing nonproliferation as the most troubling issue on the bilateral agenda. DoD Reports Delays In Key Weapon Programs. Defense News, Jeff Erlich, Dec 01, 1997, p 32 Several major US defense programs are suffering new schedule delays ranging from several months to two years. Among the programs delayed is the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACM). Pentagon Panel Warns Of Smaller Chem-Bio Attacks. Defense News, Jeff Erlich, Dec 01, 1997, p 12 The US should shift the focus of its chemical and biological defense programs to handling a small-scale attack, according to a group of retired flag officers. U.S. Budget Woes Threaten MEADS. Defense News, Jeff Erlich, Dec 01, 1997, pp 1, 34 The Pentagon may pull the plug on one of its most important international cooperation programs, the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS). In Program Budget Decision 224, a DoD official said the department lacks the funding to begin making MEADS a reality. DIA Endorses Report On Missile Threat. Defense Week, David Ruppe, Dec 01, 1997, p 7 In an unusual endorsement of a news article, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that its Missile Space Intelligence Center expressed general agreement with points made by Steven Zaloga about the increasing threat posed by the proliferation of low-altitude, infrared-guided, surface-to-air missiles in an article entitled "Future Trends in Air Defense Missiles," in the October issue of Journal of Electronic Defense. Dollars Needed To Make Panel Vision A Reality. Defense Week, Tony Capaccio and John Donnelly, Dec 03, 1997, pp 1-3 By the year 2000, the defense budget must include several billion dollars annually to transform the military into a force capable of countering post-cold War chaos envisioned by the congressionally mandated National Defense Panel. Top Tester On THAAD: Don't Fly One, Buy Another. Defense Week. John Donnelly, Dec 01, 1997, pp 1, 12 In a recent statement, Philip Coyle basically backed up the GAO saying the THAAD antimissile program should not test one version of its interceptor and then buy another. The Army wants to start buying 40 go-to-war interceptors for its controversial THAAD system based on just one successful intercept using an older-model missile. The cost of the first 40 missiles is $195m and they would be the first installment of a system that will cost $15b to acquire and another $18b to operate over 20 years. NDP: Balance Risks And Forge Ahead. Defense Week, Colin Clark, Dec 03, 1997, pp 1, 4 In its report, the National Defense Panel said that although there will be risks, the US military must consider scrapping its present plans for fighting two near simultaneous wars and develop new information and power projection systems as it readies for 2020. NDP: Two-War Strategy Draining Dollars From Long-Term Security Needs. Inside Missile Defense, Dec 02, 1997, pp 1-15 In a report outlining its views on where the US national security strategy should go, the National Defense Panel said that the Pentagon's focus on building forces to fight two nearly simultaneous wars is quickly becoming dated and draining defense dollars away from programs that could contribute to the long-term security of the US. Integrated Product Team Meets To Tackle THAAD Costs, Schedule Issues. Inside Missile Defense. Daniel G. Dupont, Nov 19, 1997, pp 1, 14-15 Paramount among the issues surrounding the development of THAAD that were discussed by the integrated product team is the cost, which program officials must reduce to fit THAAD into BMDO spending plans. Israel To Build Third Arrow Battery To Counter Iranian Missile Threat. Inside Missile Defense, John Liang, Nov 19, 1997, pp 4-5 An emerging ballistic missile threat from Iran has prompted Israel to speed its Arrow II missile defense program to make it available by the turn of the century. Weldon Keeps Missile Defense Spat Alive, Accusing DoD Of 'Playing Politics' With TMD. Inside Missile Defense, John Liang, Nov 19, 1997, p 1, 22 Rep Weldon (R-PA) accused the Defense Department of "playing politics" with its theater missile defense program n a letter to SecDef Cohen. Weldon's letter to Cohen on Iranian Missile Threat is included in this article. While Agreeing With Many Recommendations: Cohen's Draft Response To NDP Reasserts Merits Of Two-War Approach. Inside the Pentagon, Douglas Berenson; Roman Schweizer, Dec 04, 1997, pp 1, 12-16 Defense Secretary William Cohen's official response to the NDP report rejects the idea of scrapping its force -sizing criteria based on an ability to fight two nearly simultaneous theater wars. Included with this article is the draft response by Cohen. Panel Wants New CINC To Oversee 'Transformation': National Defense Panel Would Revamp Unified Command Plan. Inside the Pentagon, Douglas Berenson, Dec 04, 1997, pp 3-4 The NDP called for a transformation of the Pentagon's military command structure in order to start up its proposed transition strategy to realize the revolution in military affairs (RMA). Integrated Product Team Meets To Tackle THAAD Costs, Schedule. Inside the Pentagon, Nov 27, 1997, p 9 An overarching integrated product team has been reviewing several development issues for the development of THAAD. Some of the issues discussed included cost, testing requirements, and a review of the acquisition program baseline. Missile Malfunction Is Latest Blow To Russian Program. Jane's Defence Weekly, Nov 26, 1997, p 3 A malfunctioning booster may have caused the explosion that destroyed a new Russian submarine-launched ballistic missile during a trial launch at the navy's missile testing range at Nepoks in the northern Arkhangelsk region. It was the fourth test of the RSM-52U missile according to Russia's Interfax news agency which quoted an unidentified Russian admiral. Pakistan's New Danger Weapon Is 'Confirmed'. Jane's Defence Weekly, Barbara Starr, Dec 03, 1997, p 15 Gordon Oehler, who recently resigned as director of the CIA's Nonproliferation Center, said that Pakistan had recently announced that "its engineers have developed a 1,500km missile, which they call the Ghauri." Pakistani press reports earlier this year also referred to the missile as the Mk III. US Formally Rejects Leaked Claim That Russia Violated CTBT With Test. Physics Today, Irwin Goodwin, Dec 01, 1997, p 50 On August 18, the CIA issued a classified alert that Russia had probably conducted an underground nuclear test two days earlier. While the NSC agreed to keep the report secret, by the end of August the document was being promulgated in the Washington Times. Russia protested, claiming the seismic disturbances were caused by earthquakes in the Kara Sea. Subsequent scientific investigation led to the conclusion that the disturbance was probably an earthquake and the US has backed away from the leaked claim. Clinton Shoots Down Asteroid Mission. Physics Today, Irwin Goodwin, Dec 01, 1997, p 52 President Clinton used his line item veto option to eliminate a mission to line out the Clementine 2 asteroid mission. The proposed mission proposed to gather data about three asteroids projected to fly close to the earth within the next two years. Mr. Clinton also lined out the Army's proposed ASAT program to develop heat seeking missiles. Mr. Clinton claimed it violated the ABM Treaty. Lax Security At Nuclear Weapons Labs Leads DOE To Strengthen Precautions. Physics Today, Irwin Goodwin, Dec 01, 1997, p 52 The GAO reports that less than 20% of foreign visitors from "sensitive" countries (to include Russian, India, and China) had been subject to background investigations prior to their visits to DOE weapons labs. DOE responded that while security is a concern, the GAO had put excessive emphasis on background security checks.
