Congressional Documents
EXCERPTS - Intelligence and Related Activities
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]
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
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Page
DIVISION A--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION.................. 19
TITLE I--PROCUREMENT............................................. 19
Other Procurement, Army...................................... 41
Items of Special Interest.................................. 50
Aircraft Procurement, Navy................................... 57
Items of Special Interest.................................. 61
Other Procurement, Navy...................................... 81
Items of Special Interest.................................. 91
Aircraft Procurement, Air Force.............................. 101
Items of Special Interest.................................. 106
Missile Procurement, Air Force............................... 113
Items of Special Interest.................................. 116
Other Procurement, Air Force................................. 117
Items of Special Interest.................................. 123
Procurement, Defense-Wide.................................... 124
Items of Special Interest.................................. 129
TITLE II--RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION............ 140
OVERVIEW....................................................... 140
Army RDT&E-.................................................. 142
Items Of Special Interest.................................. 151
Navy RDT&E................................................... 164
Items Of Special Interest.................................. 174
Air Force RDT&E.............................................. 202
Items Of Special Interest.................................. 211
Defense Agencies RDT&E....................................... 216
Items Of Special Interest.................................. 225
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS......................................... 255
Subtitle B--Program Requirements, Restrictions, and
Limitations................................................ 255
Section 213--Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles............. 256
TITLE III--OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE............................. 262
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
Other Issues................................................. 314
Computer Crimes and Information Technology Security........ 317
Subtitle G--Other Matters.................................... 338
Section 375--Prohibition on Use of Special Operations
Command Budget for Base Operation Support................ 340
TITLE IX--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT...... 392
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS....................................... 395
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
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 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
TITLE XXVIII--GENERAL PROVISIONS................................. 465
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST...................................... 465
Withdrawals of Public Lands for Military Purposes.......... 466
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
DIVISION A--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
TITLE I--PROCUREMENT
.............
Other Procurement, Army
.............
Items of Special Interest
.............
All source analysis system (ASAS)
The budget request contained $7.8 million for procurement
of six ASAS-Extended unit sets to replace selected ASAS Common
Hardware Software (CHS)-I workstations with CHS-II workstations
and enhanced software.
The ASAS is a ground-based, mobile, intelligence
information processing and fusion system designed to provide
automated intelligence support to combat commanders. The system
interfaces with selected national, joint, and theater-level
intelligence assets to provide commanders at echelons above
corps down through battalion level a common, comprehensive
picture of an opposing force's capabilities and potential
actions.
The committee anticipates that the Army will become
increasingly reliant upon timely and accurate all source
intelligence data provided by ASAS for the rapid targeting and
employment of precision weapons and, therefore, recommends an
increase of $9.0 million for the procurement of additional
ASAS-Extended unit sets and enhanced software.
.............
Common hardware software (CHS)
The budget request did not contain funding for the
procurement of CHS, which provides the standardized hardware
and software for the information systems that will support the
Army's first fully digitized division.
The committee understands that the Army's contract for CHS-
I will expire prior to the end of fiscal year 1997. The
committee believes it would be imprudent to terminate the
existing CHS-I contract until a thorough analysis of the
results of the recently concluded Advanced Warfighting
Experiment, which evaluated its ``digital battlefield''
modernization efforts, has been completed. Allowing the CHS-I
contract to expire prior to the complete evaluation of CHS-I,
CHS-II and other battlefield digitization hardware could
potentially delay fielding of critically-needed command,
control and communications capabilities. Therefore, the
committee directs the Army to extend the expiring CHS-I
contract for one year, a period commensurate with minimizing
fielding interruptions and with attaining the final
certification of CHS-II.
Communications satellite radios
The budget request did not contain funding for procurement
of satellite communications radios for counterintelligence (CI)
units in Korea.
The committee is aware that communications shortfalls exist
to fully support CI units deployed throughout the Korean
peninsula and that a recent study identified a requirement to
provide satellite communications connectivity for these units.
Therefore, the committee recommends an increase of $2.8 million
for this purpose.
.............
Sentinel
The budget request contained $41.0 million for 12 Sentinel
systems.
The Sentinel system consists of a trailer-mounted radar and
an identification-friend-or-foe device, along with Forward Area
Air Defense stCommand, Control and Intelligence interfaces. The
system plays an integral role in the digital battlefield by
automatically detecting, identifying, and reporting cruise
missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and rotary and fixed
wing aircraft targets and rapidly transmitting data on these
targets to air defense units.
The committee believes that the Sentinel system will play
increasingly critical air defense and force protection roles,
especially with the proliferation of UAVs and cruise missiles
throughout the world. These small targets require early
detection in order to provide maximum reaction times for
engagement at ranges well beyond the forward line of troops.
Therefore, the committee recommends an increase of $20.3
million for 14 additional Sentinel systems.
.............
Single channel anti-jam manportable (SCAMP) terminals
The budget request contained $4.3 million for fielding of
SCAMP terminals. No funds were requested to procure new
terminals even though the Army has procured less than half of
its requirement for 660 terminals.
These satellite communications terminals provide extended-
range, anti-jam voice and data command and control (C2)
communications capability worldwide as part of the extremely
high frequency Milstar satellite communications program.
Based on the critical requirement for joint C2
communications and to ensure that the Army can be fully
integrated into the joint C2 network provided by the Milstar
communications network, the committee recommends an increase of
$12.3 million for SCAMP terminals and encourages the Secretary
of Army to exercise the existing firm fixed price contract
option for these terminals in fiscal year 1998.
Aircraft Procurement, Navy
.............
Items of Special Interest
.............
P-3 series modifications
The budget request contained $164.9 million for P-3 series
modifications, $74.7 million of which is for four anti-surface
warfare improvement program (AIP) kits, and $41.3 million of
which is for 11 sustained readiness program (SRP) kits.
The AIP improves the P-3's capabilities in communications,
survivability and over-the-horizon targeting through the
installation of commercial-off-the-shelf components. The
committee understands that the Commanders-in-Chief (CINCs) of
the Atlantic and Pacific theaters require 68 AIP-configured P-3
aircraft by fiscal year 2001, but the future years defense
program only provides for 44 aircraft by this time. In the last
year alone, these aircraft have played major roles in joint
naval operations in Bosnia, Liberia, Central Africa, the
Formosa Strait and the Strait of Hormuz by providing littoral
and overland surveillance. Consequently, in order to meet CINC
requirements and achieve a more efficient production rate, the
committee recommends an increase of $56.6 million for an
additional eight AIP kits.
The SRP extends the service life of the P-3C by replacing
and refurbishing airframe components. The committee understands
that material conditions of the fleet aircraft are
deteriorating faster than originally forecast, requiring
frequent major airframe repairs in advance of the nominal 30-
year expected operational service life. If left unchecked,
aircraft could be rendered unserviceable due to corrosion or
cracking of major structural components. Accordingly, the
committee recommends an increase of $35.1 million to procure 17
additional shipsets of SRP kits.
.............
Other Procurement, Navy
.............
Items of Special Interest
.............
Cooperative engagement capability (CEC)
The budget request did not contain funding for CEC.
The CEC significantly improves anti-air warfare (AAW)
capability by integrating all battle group component AAW sensor
information into a single, real-time depiction that allows one
platform to target and engage a hostile air threat with
information from another. CEC distributes sensor data from any
ship or aircraft in the battle group to all others through a
real-time, line-of-sight, high-data-rate distribution network.
The committee notes that the Chief of Naval Operations has
identified CEC as one of the top three fiscal year 1998
unfunded procurement priorities. Therefore, the committee
recommends $114.8 million to restore the Navy's CEC fielding
plan by procuring and installing CEC shipsets for two aircraft
carrier battle groups.
.............
Aircraft Procurement, Air Force
.............
Items of Special Interest
.............
Predator unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
The budget request contained $116.5 million for 15 Predator
UAVs.
The Predator was acquired as an advanced concept technology
demonstration (ACTD) program in response to an urgent
requirement identified by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in
1993 and is the first ACTD to make the transition to a
production program. The committee is aware of the success of
the Predator in a number of continental United States
exercises, as well as two operational deployments to Bosnia,
and supports the full number of systems validated by the JCS.
However, the committee notes that the request does not include
funds needed for attrition aircraft or for spares and,
therefore, recommends $30.0 million for these purposes.
RC-135
The budget request did not contain funding for re-engining
RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft.
The committee notes that $145.0 million was authorized to
re-engine six RC-135 aircraft in the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (Public Law 104-106).
The committee remains convinced the RC-135 will continue to be
the workhorse of the manned special reconnaissance fleet well
into the 21st century and is disappointed that, despite
previous assurances to the contrary, continuation of this
effort remains unfunded in the fiscal year 1998 budget.
Nevertheless, the committee is persuaded by the General
Accounting Office's analysis of the re-engining program, which
concluded that the Department can expect to realize savings of
over $1.5 billion with new engines compared to operating and
maintaining the current TF-33 engines on these aircraft.
Accordingly, the committee recommends an additional $52.0
million to re-engine two RC-135 aircraft.
Senior Year Electro-Optical System (SYERS)
The budget request contained $141.5 million for continued
procurement of spares and repair parts for the U-2 aircraft and
sensors. Because the U-2 SYERS imagery satisfies a large
percentage of theater commanders' imagery requirements, the
committee is committed to ensuring the availability of this
aircraft and the viability of its sensors. The committee
understands that the request does not adequately fund either
upgrades to existing components of or required additional spare
parts for SYERS. Accordingly, the committee recommends an
increase of $5.0 million for these purposes.
Congress initiated and sustained for several years an
upgrade to the SYERS imaging sensor which among other things
would allow it to be carried in the ``Q-bay'' of the U-2, such
that a radar sensor and the SYERS electro-optical sensor could
be flown simultaneously. This initiative appeared to Congress
to be well worth the small investment in SYERS, since in
wartime this dual capability could free another U-2 aircraft to
fly other missions.
The committee has now learned that the aircraft fuselage
may have to be modified in order to carry SYERS in the Q-bay.
Specifically, a ``canoe'' would have to be added to allow the
camera to image beyond 45 degrees. In view of this fact, the
committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a
report to the congressional defense and intelligence committees
by March 15, 1998, on the need and the costs to design and
procure the number of ``canoes'' necessary to allow SYERS and a
radar sensor to flown simultaneously.
Theater Airborne Warning System (TAWS)
The budget request contained $67.1 million for defense
airborne reconnaissance program modifications, but did not
contain funding for TAWS, a medium-wave infrared (MWIR) sensor
system capable of detecting and calculating the launch points
of tactical ballistic missiles. TAWS is currently deployed on
the Cobra Ball RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft.
In the statement of the managers accompanying the
conference report on H.R. 3230 (H. Rept. 104-724), the
conferees urged the Air Force to proceed with a program to
install TAWS on the Rivet Joint RC-135 aircraft, which is
available in greater numbers than the Cobra Ball. Such a
program would provide an option for early deployment of TAWS in
support of improved theater ballistic missile defenses.
However, the Department has opted instead to install this
capability on the Airborne Laser (ABL).
The committee understands that the ABL is not scheduled to
reach initial operational capability until 2003. The long
intervening period during which TAWS would remain only on the
very few Cobra Ball aircraft would not meet the near-term need
for a theater ballistic missile analysis and warning
capability. Furthermore, the Air Force plans to acquire no more
than seven ABL aircraft, a force structure too small to assure
that TAWS would be available when and where needed.
The committee believes this important mission is best
satisfied by a reconnaissance aircraft. Therefore, the
committee recommends an increase of $20.0 million to migrate
the MWIR TAWS technology from the Cobra Ball RC-135 to the
Rivet Joint RC-135 to enhance near-term deployment flexibility.
.............
Missile Procurement, Air Force
.............
Items of Special Interest
.............
Medium launch vehicle (MLV)
The budget request contained $165.8 million for the MLV
program.
The Air Force has identified $14.8 million in excess prior
year funds in this program resulting from lower-than-expected
cost growth and launch failure recovery activities that are no
longer required. Of this total, $5.0 million was recommended
for rescission in H.R. 1469, the Fiscal Year 1997 Supplemental
Appropriations Act. The committee notes that the remaining
balance of these excess funds are available to meet fiscal year
1998 MLV requirements and, consequently, recommends $156.0
million, a $9.8 million reduction.
Titan space boosters
The budget request contained $555.3 million for Titan IV
boosters and related equipment and launch support activities.
The Air Force has identified $204.0 million in excess prior
year funds in the Titan program. Of this total, $122.0 million
was recommended for rescission in H.R. 1469, the Fiscal Year
1997 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act. The committee
notes that the remaining balance of these excess funds are
available to meet fiscal year 1998 Titan IV requirements.
Consequently, the committee recommends $473.3 million, a
decrease of $82.0 million.
.............
Other Procurement, Air Force
.............
Items of Special Interest
Air Force satellite control network (AFSCN)
The budget request contained $32.2 million for the AFSCN.
The committee understands that $9.0 million was authorized
and appropriated in fiscal year 1997 for an AFSCN hardware
purchase to support a classified program. The committee has
been informed, however, that the Air Force canceled this
hardware purchase because of a delay in the classified program
and a resulting shift in plans to support it. The committee
notes that the funds for this purchase are now available to
meet fiscal year 1998 AFSCN requirements and recommends $23.2
million, a reduction of $9.0 million.
.............
Joint situational awareness system (JSAS)
The budget request did not contain funding for the JSAS.
The committee is aware of the significant progress made by
the Air Force in providing theater-wide situational awareness
to joint task force commanders through the JSAS. The JSAS has
proven to be a highly-effective, low-cost, real-time, user-
friendly intelligence fusion system and represents a building
block for greatly expanded capabilities. The committee believes
the Air Force should pursue integrating the JSAS into the
Global Command and Control System and recommends an additional
$6.3 million for this purpose.
.............
Tactical signals intelligence support
The budget request contained $4.1 million for tactical
signals intelligence support.
The committee fully supports the Department of Defense's
efforts to coordinate intelligence data broadcasts to the
warfighters and recommends an increase of $5.0 million to
accelerate the procurement of hardware and software to fully
implement the Integrated Broadcast Service technical/
operational architecture.
Procurement, Defense-Wide
.............
Information systems security
The budget request contained $19.6 million for information
systems security.
As a result of its hearing on information warfare, where
for the first time all of the Department of Defense's corporate
information officers were present in one forum, thecommittee
was pleased to learn that the global threat of information warfare is
an issue which the Department has taken extremely seriously. However,
the committee is concerned that the number of attempted intrusions into
the Department's unclassified networks has been occurring with
increasing frequency. While the Department is meeting the challenge
with a well-organized system to protect against would-be intruders,
detect those who attempt to intrude, and react to those that do
intrude, the committee is convinced that much more needs to be done,
especially at the worldwide locations of the theater Commanders-in-
Chief (CINCs). Although the committee recognizes that there are plans
to fully secure the CINCs' information links, it believes that these
plans require expediting. Consequently, the committee recommends an
increase of $50.0 million to implement network intrusion devices,
firewalls, multi-level security assurance guards and other equipment in
order to ensure the secure operation of these links as soon as it is
possible to do so.
.............
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS
Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations
.............
TITLE II--RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION
.............
Army RDT&E
.............
Items of Special Interest
.............
All source analysis system
The budget request contained $24.0 million for engineering
development of the all source analysis system (ASAS). The
committee notes that the ASAS is a critical Army tactical
intelligence fusion effort essential to the success of the
Army's Force XXI digitization initiative, and recommends an
additional $3.5 million in PE 64321A to support the software
upgrade program for ASAS.
.............
Force XXI architecture
The budget request contained $11.1 million for command,
control, and communications systems engineering development in
PE 64805A. The committee is aware of the Army emphasis on
digitization for Force XXI and the high priority of its
architecture development. The committee supports acceleration
of the Army's highest priority unfunded requirement, and
recommends an increase of $5.0 million.
.............
Information systems technology, information superiority, and
information security
The budget request contained approximately $10.3 billion
for Department of Defense information systems and information
technology, including $544.4 million for information systems
and information technology research, development, test, and
evaluation. Of that amount, $306.0 million was for information
security research, development, test, and evaluation.
The committee views with great interest the development of
information systems technology and the increasing use of, and
dependence on information systems in the Department of Defense
and in the nation as a whole. Rapidly advancing information-
based technologies and an increasingly competitive global
environment have thrust information into center stage in
society, government, and warfare. Increasingly, complex
information systems are being integrated into traditional
military operational disciplines such as mobility, logistics,
command, control, communications, and intelligence, and
increased emphasis is being placed on the use of the commercial
information infrastructure.
The committee believes that the application of information
and information technology in our military forces, combined
with the supporting infrastructure in the Department of
Defense, and our national life will offer greatly increased
capabilities, but also will require that the Administration
begin to treat information technology as a strategic resource
vital to our national security. Inherent in these new
capabilities, information technology also creates potentially
serious vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an
adversary, as the military and other elements of national power
become increasingly dependent upon information systems and
information capabilities. The vulnerability of information
infrastructures to attack and the linkage between information
systems and the traditional critical infrastructures (such as
the electrical power system) have increased the scope and
potential of the information warfare threat.
The promise of information technology as a key ``enabler''
to achieve superiority on future battlefields, the
vulnerabilities that information technology brings, and how
theDepartment of Defense plans to protect against these vulnerabilities
provided the focus for a committee hearing in March 1997. The committee
also heard testimony on the findings and recommendations of the 1996
Defense Science Board Task Force on Information Warfare-Defense. The
task force report cited a robust information infrastructure as critical
to the future effectiveness of U.S. military forces and the need for
extraordinary action to deal with the present and emerging challenges
of defending against possible information warfare attacks on the United
States.
The committee commends the efforts taken to develop and
institutionalize the use of common information architectures
within the Department of Defense, to improve policies and
management practices, and to create a Department-wide
environment that promotes interoperability and integration
among the military services and defense agencies. The committee
notes the efforts that are underway to protect and assure the
integrity of the Defense and national information
infrastructures. The committee also notes that the budget
request for the information systems security program in PE
33140G includes an increase of $56.6 million above the fiscal
year 1997 funding level.
The committee supports the maintenance of a robust
information systems security research and development program.
Accordingly, the committee recommends the following increases
to the budget request:
(1) $2.0 million in PE 63006A for tactical internet
command and control protection;
(2) $6.7 million in PE 65604A for information
operations/warfare survivability analysis of command,
control, communications, and computers/information
electronic warfare systems;
(3) $1.6 million in PE 33150A for development and
application of information protection measures for the
Army's component of the global command and control
systems for the U.S. European Command; and
(4) $2.7 million in PE 33140F for the Air Force
information protection program.
The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to report to
the Congressional defense committees with the submission of the
fiscal year 1999 budget, an assessment of the progress in the
Department's information systems security program that
addresses the current status of the program, specific actions
being taken on the recommendations of the 1996 Defense Science
Board Task Force on Information Warfare-Defense, and additional
actions that should be taken to assure the increased security
and integrity of the Defense information infrastructure. The
report shall also address measures necessary to assure the
integrity of those elements of the national information
infrastructure and critical national infrastructure on which
the Defense information infrastructure depends, and
identification of any additional resources and legislative
authority which may be required.
.............
Missile defense battle integration center
The budget request contained $5.0 million for the battle
integration center (BIC). The Army is building a flexible
distributed interactive simulation-based architecture which can
operate in regimes of training, exercises and military
operations, as well as providing support to advanced concept
development. The committee understands that this effort has
been identified as an Army priority, yet it is insufficiently
funded. The committee recommends an increase of $14.0 million
in PE 63308A to continue development of the BIC as an
integrated battlelab with the capability to provide high
fidelity representation of the modern battlefield.
.............
Short-range unmanned aerial vehicle
The budget request contained no funding for short-range
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The Department, based on lack
of progress in the tactical unmanned aerial vehicle program,
which is under close scrutiny for possible cancellation, has
directed the Services to assess other solutions for UAV
requirements. The Army has an unfulfilled, validated
operational requirement for a short-range UAV. The committee
directs the Secretary of Defense to initiate an Army
acquisition program for the Department, to develop and procure
a short-range UAV to fulfill the existing requirement.
Performance specifications for a short-range UAV are to be as
defined by the validated operational requirement. The UAV is to
be equipped with the objective digital data link that is
compatible with the Army's digital architecture for the future.
The committee notes that historically, requirements changes and
upgrading have been, in great part, the cause of many failed
UAV programs. Therefore, the Department is directed to acquire
a short-range UAV with minimum development to meet the existing
validated operational requirement. Subsequent to IOC, as
appropriate, block changes may be used to implement a pre-
planned product improvement program.
The committee notes that technology improvement since
validation of the operational requirement may allow increased
range beyond 100 kilometers. The committee directs that the
range threshold be 100 kilometers with specified endurance,
while the objective range shall be 200 kilometers.
The committee recommends $5.0 million in PE 63003A to begin
development of a short-range UAV for all services having the
defined requirement. Such development should as much as
practicable, use mature, existing air vehicle technology and
include digitization of systems to be compatible with emerging
digital force architecture.
.............
Navy RDT&E
.............
Items of Special Interest
.............
Automatic target recognition/optical correlation
The budget request contained $34.2 million in PE 63609N for
Navy conventional munitions development, $26.2 million in PE
63601F for Air Force conventional weapons technology, and $4.8
million in PE 63232D for automatic target recognition. The
committee is aware progress is being made in the Director,
Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) automatic target
recognition (ATR) program and the development of ATR
technologies for missiles, precision-guided weapons, and target
cueing for surveillance systems. The DDR&E's January 1997
report to the Congressional defense committees on optical
correlation technology describes the progress that has been
made in the potential weaponization of optical correlation
technology for these purposes. The committee also understands
that the Air Force is investigating the use of optical
correlators for missile applications in its Optical Processor
Enhanced Ladar program.
The committee recommends an increase of $8.0 million in PE
63609N for the development and demonstration of a miniature
optical correlator for automatic target recognition and
improved aimpoint selection for the Standard Missile, and an
increase of $3.5 million in PE 63601F for the development and
demonstration of a miniature optical correlator for automatic
target recognition and aimpoint selection for the AGM-130. The
committee expects the Air Force and the Navy to capitalize on
current programs for the development of ATR technologyand the
application of optical correlator technology and to coordinate their
activities with the DDR&E's ATR program.
.............
Cooperative engagement capability
The budget request contained $139.2 million in PE 63658N
for the cooperative engagement capability (CEC).
As reflected in the House report (H. Rept. 104-563) on H.R.
3230 and the statement of managers accompanying the conference
report on H.R. 3230 (H. Rept. 104-724), the Congresshas
recognized the CEC program as among the highest priority programs in
the Navy and the Department of Defense. In testimony during the defense
posture hearing on the fiscal year 1997 budget request, the Secretary
of Defense singled out the CEC as a program of high priority that he
had chosen to accelerate because of its great potential for linking
units from more than one service together and greatly increasing their
warfighting capability. The Congressional defense committees agreed
with the priority established by the Secretary and recommended
significant increases to the CEC program to accelerate the fielding of
the capability to the fleet and to accelerate and expand joint service
integration efforts.
The committee notes that the Navy's fiscal year 1998 budget
request for the CEC program is significantly less than
projected in the fiscal year 1997 Future Years Defense Plan and
budget justification, and results in a slip of over one year in
the fielding of the capability to fleet units. The committee
does not understand the Navy's failure to provide the funding
required to maintain the accelerated fielding schedule for a
program that has received such a high priority from the
Secretary of Defense and from the Congress. The committee
believes that the Navy has overemphasized programs for new
naval ``platforms'', at the expense of the warfighting weapons
systems that would make existing platforms more effective.
The committee recommends a total increase of $50.0 million
in PE 63658N for the CEC program: $15.0 million to continue the
accelerated development of the low cost common equipment set,
$5.0 million to support transfer of the CEC design and
development agent to industry, $20.0 million to accelerate
integration of the CEC into Navy E-2C and P-3 aircraft, $5.0
million to initiate development of an integrated capability
between CEC and the ship self defense program, and $5.0 million
to accelerate joint service integration and demonstration of
CEC with the Army's Patriot and the Marine Corps' Hawk air
defense missile systems.
.............
F/A-18F Tactical Reconnaissance
The budget request contained no funding for developing the
F-14 Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) Completely
Digital (CD) capability.
The committee understands that the Navy plans to replace
the F-14 Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) with an
electro-optical podded system for the F/A-18F Super Hornet. The
committee has closely monitored the technical issues and
difficulties experienced by the Marine Corps with the
internally mounted Advanced Tactical Reconnaissance System
(ATARS) for the F/A-18D. These issues, combined with the
expected costs and extent of modifications to the F/A-18F if an
internally mounted sensor were chosen, point to a podded
reconnaissance capability as a more cost-effective and flexible
approach for Navy fighter aircraft.
Therefore, the committee supports the Navy's decision to
develop a non-dedicated podded reconnaissance capability for
the Super Hornet. The committee expects that the Navy will
adhere to this decision and stresses that it will not favor any
future request for development of an internally mounted F/A-18
reconnaissance capability. The committee believes that the Navy
should, to the extent possible, ensure that the TARPS
development be transferable to the F/A-18F pod. To ensure that
the latest technologies are provided to the user, the committee
directs that the development and procurement of the F/A-18F
podded system be awarded competitively.
The committee has followed the TARPS digital imagery (DI)
electro-optical (EO) improvements and is pleased with the
results of this interim, but limited, capability. However, the
committee believes there is a need to move to a production EO
capability with a larger format backplane that provides both
better resolution and a larger target area field-of-view, and
understands that the TARPS CD development would provide such a
capability at significantly less cost than a Navy purchase of
the Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System (ATARS).
Based on the successful results from the interim DI
efforts, the committee is convinced that CD will provide a cost
effective EO tactical manned reconnaissance capability to
replace the current film-based F-14 pods. Therefore, the
committee recommends $5.0 million in PE 24136N for TARPS CD
non-recurring engineering. The committee directs the Navy to
move to TARPS CD production as expeditiously as possible.
.............
Integrated ship self defense test site
The budget request contained $132.3 million in PE 64755N
for the ship self defense program and $33.2 million in PE
64759N, Major Test & Evaluation Investment. No funds were
requested in either program element for the ship self defense
set and support equipment required to activate the Navy's
Integrated Ship Self Defense Engineering Center (ISDEC).
In 1991, the Navy received approval to construct a land-
based test facility at Wallops Island to integrate and test the
ship self defense system (SSDS) and its related equipment. The
decision was made after a comprehensive review of available
test sites and their ability to support the engineering
development, in-service engineering, training, testing, and
other initiatives associated with the SSDS. Construction of the
facility was completed in 1995. A December 1996 letter from the
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations advised that ``program
reductions have resulted in delays of two or more years for the
procurement and installation of systems intended for ships and
insufficient funding to operate and maintain the Wallops Island
facility.''
In view of the priority assigned to the cooperative
engagement capability (CEC) and ship self defense programs, the
committee does not understand the inability of the Department
of the Navy to fund the installation of the required SSDS
equipment set and related equipment required to activate the
integrated SSDS test site. Such funding should have been an
integral part of the program plan when approval for
construction of the site was sought and given in 1991. The
Navy's inability to provide the required funding is even more
incomprehensible in view of the fact that the ship self defense
and CEC programs that will use the site have been among the
Navy's highest priority programs. These programs have been
funded at an average funding level of approximately $400.0
million annually since 1990, and have received significant
annual funding increases from Congress. By failing to budget
for the activation and operation of the ISDEC, the Navy has
severely restricted its ability to perform testing and lifetime
engineering support, in-service engineering, and engineering
initiatives related to the CEC and SSDS systems.
Accordingly the committee recommends an increase of $8.6
million in PE 64759N to purchase the SSDS and related equipment
required to activate the integrated land based test site at
Wallops Island. The Secretary of the Navy is also directed to
provide from available funds the $6.0 million that is required
to refurbish and install an AN/SPS-48E air search radar at the
site.
.............
Joint surveillance and target radar system integration
The budget request contained $5.1 million in PE 64231N for
the Joint Maritime Communications Information System (JMCIS)--
Afloat. No funds were requested to include a capability within
JMCIS to exploit the Joint Surveillance and Target Radar System
(JSTARS) moving target indicator (MTI) data.
The committee believes that there are compelling reasons
for the Navy to acquire the ability to use the JSTARS radar
surveillance system. The Navy currently has no means to detect
and track, and locate moving targets, on a large scale, to
contribute meaningfully to operations ashore. The Navy and
Marine Corps aviation forces, future variants of the Tomahawk
missile, shore fire-support systems, and amphibious forces will
all require highly capable moving target indicator (MTI) radar
support for situation assessment and targeting.
Therefore, the committee recommends an increase of $10.0
million to perform the tasks necessary to integrate JSTARS data
into Navy and Marine ship and air platforms.
.............
Precision targeting and location system
The budget request contained no funds for global
positioning system (GPS) interference precision targeting and
location.
The committee is aware of the potential vulnerability of
GPS signals to collateral interference and intentional jamming.
In fiscal year 1997, Congress authorized and appropriated $3.5
million in PE 64270N for demonstration of a flyable prototype
of a currently available technology capable of rapid, precision
location of sources of GPS interference in order to assess the
technical feasibility and utility of such a targeting system
incorporated on operational aircraft and unmanned aerial
vehicles. The committee recommends an increase of $2.8 million
in PE 64270N to complete the demonstration.
.............
Air Force RDT&E
.............
Items of Special Interest
.............
Range improvement program
The budget request contained $47.3 million for major test
and evaluation investment in PE 64759F.
The committee understands that the test range at Eglin Air
Force Base is a national asset that provides important test and
evaluation capabilities for the Department of Defense. It is
also aware that the range needs improved instrumentation and
other modernization to meet 21st century requirements. The
committee supports improved test and evaluation and recommends
an increase of $14.8 million for range modernization.
Rocket propulsion research
The budget request contained $48.1 million for rocket
propulsion technology in the integrated high payoff rocket
propulsion technology (IHPRPT) initiative programs.
The IHPRPT represents the Department of Defense's principal
technology effort to dramatically improve the performance of
rocket systems and is leveraged through coordination and
cooperation with industry and the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration. The committee believes that the
Department's strong leadership and commitment to this effort is
essential to achieving this leverage, and is concerned that the
requested level of funding may be insufficient to sustain
critical research in materials and propellants. Therefore, the
committee recommends an increase of $6.0 million to PE 62601F,
$1.5 million be added to PE 63302F, and an increase of $1.0
million to each for PE 62111N and PE 63217N for IHPRPT
programs.
Rocket system launch program
The budget request contained $8.0 million in PE 65860F for
the rocket system launch program (RSLP). The RSLP provides
research, development, test, and evaluation support to the
Department of Defense and other government agencies using
excess ballistic missile assets.
The committee continues to support the atmospheric
interceptor technology (AIT) program, a primary technology base
program within the Ballistic Missile Defense Office for
advanced hit-to-kill interceptor technologies. Flight tests are
needed in fiscal year 1998 for the AIT program to move ahead,
but funding for these tests was not included in the AIT or RSLP
budget requests. The committee understands that these flight
tests may use experimental Advanced Solid Axial Stages
boosters, the testing of which will help the RSLP program
better meet future requirements. The committee recommends $33.0
million for RSLP, an increase of $25.0 million, to support AIT
flight tests in fiscal year 1998.
Solar thermionics orbital transfer vehicle
The budget request contained $40.8 million for advanced
spacecraft technology in PE 63401F.
The committee is aware that space power and thermal
management technology is important to the goal of making future
space-based systems more affordable. The committee also
understands that the Air Force has initiated an orbital
transfer vehicle program that will use thermionics technology
to provide both electrical power and propulsion. The committee
supports use of technological innovation to reduce the cost of
space systems and recommends an increase of $20.0 million to
support the orbital transfer vehicle program.
Space and Missile Rocket Propulsion
The budget request contained $16.2 million within PE 63302F
for Space and Missile Rocket Propulsion.
The committee remains concerned that the nation's space
launch system is too unreliable and expensive and believes that
exploration of potentially revolutionary launch technologies is
fully justified. Improving the efficiency and responsiveness of
U.S. launch capabilities is important to a wide range of
military activities and to reducing infrastructure costs.
The Scorpius space launch technology demonstration program
embodies one promising approach to robust, inexpensive,
scalable launch capabilities. It has been funded through seven
small business innovative research awards by BMDO and Phillips
Laboratory. The committee recommends an increase of $15.0
million for continuation of the Scorpius program and that the
funding for the Scorpius program be transferred from BMDO (PE
63173C) to the Air Force (PE 63302F).
The committee believes that military single-stage-to-orbit
(SSTO) vehicles could also be important to future defense
missions and could provide assured and very flexible access to
space. The committee notes that the budget request contained no
funding for the military spaceplane, however, the Air Force has
expressed support for this program and indicates that it will
be funded in fiscal year 1999. The committee recommends an
increase of $15.0 million in PE 63302F to continue this
program.
Titan space launch vehicles
The budget request contained $82.4 million in PE 35144F for
research and development on Titan IVB boosters and related
equipment.
The Titan IVB uses upgraded strap-on solid rocket motors
(SRMUs) to enable the Titan booster to meet increasing
performance requirements. The Air Force determined that the
SRMU needed to be requalified for use on the Titan IVB, if the
program were to continue beyond 37 launches. The process of
making this determination resulted in a significant lag in the
obligation and expenditure of funding that was authorized in
fiscal year 1996. Therefore, the committee recommends $67.4
million, a reduction of $15.0 million to reflect this delay.
Trusted rubix
The budget request contained $5.3 million for the
information systems security program in PE 33140F.
The committee is aware that the advent of the information
age has caused a greater reliance on computer-based systems
and, accordingly supports the Department's efforts to improve
computer security and to protect the defense information
infrastructure from attack. The committee recommends an
increase of $2.3 million for continued development of the
Trusted Rubix multi-level security program.
Defense Agencies RDT&E
.............
Airborne information transmission
The budget request contained $10.8 million in PE 35206D to
continue testing and evaluation of the airborne information
transmission (ABIT) system.
The committee believes that all major airborne
reconnaissance systems should have the ability to communicate
and cooperatively operate sensor systems using wide-bandwidth,
high data rate communications. Such a capability would allow
real-time database sharing, cooperative target location, a long
haul ``reach back'' capability to national processing
facilities, and use/control of collection systems from platform
to platform. The committee supports the Department's Common
Data Link (CDL) and ABIT efforts to pursue these capabilities.
Accordingly, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense to
conduct a study on the costs, requirements, and benefits of
adding wide-bandwidth data links on all major airborne
reconnaissance/surveillance aircraft. The study should also
provide costs for developing and installing this capability on
the various aircraft. The results of this study shall be
provided to the Congressional defense and intelligence
committees by October 1, 1998.
The committee notes the ongoing Air Force efforts to
integrate ABIT capabilities on the RC-135 reconnaissance
aircraft, and believes this effort should be the basis for all
future manned reconnaissance interoperability efforts,
including an ABIT capability on the joint surveillance target
attack radar system aircraft. The committee recommends an
increase of $3.0 million for the Air Force to lead this effort.
Airborne overhead integrated task force (AOITF)
The Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community
have formed an integrated task force to investigate the costs
and benefits of correlating airborne and overhead
signalsintelligence data for improved target location capabilities. The
task force has concluded the first phase of its work, unquestionably
showing results that would provide high payoff for tactical forces at
modest costs. Due to the timing of the task force's study, the
administration could not address its findings and funding
recommendations in the budget request.
Based on the potential importance of this initiative for
dominant battlefield awareness in several primary mission
areas, the committee recommends an increase of $7.2 million in
the PE 35206D, within Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Program
for continuing AOITF investigations and developments.
Additionally, the committee recommends an additional $2.3
million in PE 31359A, within the General Defense Intelligence
Program for required software improvements to the Joint
Collection Management Tool program. Other actions are detailed
in the classified annex to this report.
The committee applauds the work of the task force and the
decision to sustain it and ultimately transform it into a joint
office to oversee implementation. The committee also fully
endorses the task force's plan to examine the costs and
benefits of cooperative processing in other, closely related
areas.
Airborne reconnaissance advanced development
The budget request contained $4.5 million in PE 35206D for
continued refinement of the joint airborne reconnaissance
architecture standards. Included in this amount was funding for
verifying compliance and interoperability of new upgrades and
developments. The committee recommends $1.5 million for this
effort, a decrease of $3.0 million.
The budget request for PE 35206D also contained $3.0
million for initiating development of the heavy fuel engine
(HFE) for the tactical UAV. Department of Defense documentation
duplicates justification for requesting an HFE within PE
35204D. Additionally, the committee is aware that previous
authorizations and appropriations for this effort have not been
fully obligated or expended. Therefore, the committee
recommends a decrease of $3.0 million in this program element.
Airborne reconnaissance advanced development
The budget request contained $9.6 million in PE 35206D for
studies and advanced designs leading to possible future
integration of the joint signals intelligence (SIGINT) avionics
family (JSAF) collection systems on the Global Hawk unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV). It also contained $6.6 million for
beginning development of systems to incorporate the JSAF prime
mission equipment. The committee understands that this funding
will not build systems, but only provide the necessary studies
and initial design efforts to do so.
The committee understands the Global Hawk is an advanced
concept technology demonstration (ACTD) designed to validate
the military utility of a high altitude, long endurance, wide
area coverage UAV. There is no stated goal for a SIGINT
demonstration in the ACTD, and as stated by Department
witnesses, there is no Joint Requirements Oversight Council
approval for such requirement. Additionally, since the military
utility demonstration phase of this ACTD is scheduled to be
completed in fiscal year 2000, there has been no determination
that this air vehicle will be continued beyond the ACTD.
Although the committee does not believe this vehicle will
ever totally replace existing SIGINT systems, it does believe
there may be a future utility for a focused Global Hawk SIGINT
mission. However, the committee is not willing to authorize the
expenditure of such large sums for studying such a future
mission when the air vehicle has not yet flown, or proven its
military utility and suitability for its primary imagery role.
The committee is particularly sensitive to this issue when the
Department is apparently willing to deny funding to upgrade
critical operational SIGINT collection systems in order to fund
demonstration systems. Accordingly, the Congress for fiscal
year 1997 denied $10.0 million funding request in the Global
Hawk program element for SIGINT development. The committee,
however, has recently learned that the Department has an
additional $4.0 million in fiscal year 1997 funds in the
Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Program's advanced technology
funding line for this same purpose.
Therefore, the committee recommends a decrease of $16.2
million in this program element for the purpose of advanced
design for a SIGINT capability on Global Hawk. The committee
will be willing to address this issue as a product improvement
to an imagery-capable and militarily suitable air vehicle that
has been demonstrated, proven, and approved for acquisition.
The committee believes the fiscal year 1997 funds are
sufficient to study not implement development of a future
SIGINT application and agrees the funds should be expended for
that purpose.
.............
DarkStar
The investigation of last year's crash of the first
DarkStar unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and the experience of
trying to field the Predator after its successful demonstration
have revealed that reliability is an important issue for these
advanced concept technology demonstrations (ACTDs). In
principle, an ACTD is to demonstrate technology and should not
expend much resources ensuring that the demonstrated system is
ready for serial production. However, in practice, the
Department of Defense has demonstrated a proclivity to move
directly into production with ACTD configurations immediately
after successful demonstrations. Taking production issues into
account in designing systems for ACTDs, therefore, would appear
to be prudent, especially in cases (such as the endurance UAVs)
where a unit price cap is a determining factor in the success
of the program. The DarkStar program office is currently
examining high-payoff reliability improvement measures for the
system. The committee directs Department to provide the results
of this review and any actions taken by February 15, 1998.
The committee also requests the Department to sponsor a
study of the operational benefits of adding a moving target
indicator (MTI) radar capability to the DarkStar, and the costs
of doing so. This study should be coordinated with the program
office of the Joint Mobile Target Engagement ACTD, assuming it
gets underway in fiscal year 1998. The study should be
submitted to the Congressional defense and intelligence
committees by April 1, 1998.
Defense airborne reconnaissance office
The budget request included $21.5 million in PE 35209D for
operation of the defense airborne reconnaissance office (DARO).
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994
(Public Law 103-160) directed the creation of an organization
to oversee and coordinate the activities of the military
services with respect to the development of airborne
reconnaissance systems. While the committee continues to
support oversight of service developmental efforts to ensure
system interoperability and preclude unnecessary duplication of
efforts, it believes defense reconnaissance system oversight
and guidance would be more effectively accomplished by the
Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) than it has been thus
far by the DARO. The committee further believes that
development and acquisition of reconnaissance systems would be
more properly controlled by the military services rather than
centrally directed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Therefore, the committee recommends a provision (sec. 907)
that directs abolishment of the DARO, and transfer of required
defense airborne reconnaissance program functions to the
Director, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under his
authorities as Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) and
Joint Military Intelligence Program (JMIP) Coordinator. The
committee directs the Director, DIA to provide a transition
plan, with a draft DMI DARP charter, to the Congressional
defense and intelligence committees no later than the
submission of the fiscal year 1999 President's budget.
The committee recommends no funding for the DARO, and $7.5
million for continued DARP management, a decrease of $14.0
million.
Digital terrain elevation data
The budget request contained no funds in PE 35206D for
developing a digital terrain elevation data (DTED) collection
capability for aircraft.
The stated requirements for DTED are very stringent and may
cost the Department of Defense more than it can afford using
current and planning collection methods. There are also
indications that the Joint Warfare Capabilities Assessment for
intelligence and reconnaissance casts doubt on the need for
worldwide DTED at the currently required levels (3, 4, and 5).
Instead, the committee believes it may be sufficient to have
the surge capability to collect such data only when needed with
an airborne system. However, no such DTED collection capability
currently exists.
Therefore, the committee, recommends $2.0 million in this
PE for the Department to conduct an analysis to determine
design trades from which to choose an airborne platform to
perform fine DTED data collection. This analysis should
determine whether an embedded system or a ``remove and
replace'' configuration that could be installed as necessary on
an airframe of opportunity makes the most sense. The committee
requests that the results of this analysis be provided to the
defense and intelligence committees no later than April 1,
1998.
.............
Endurance unmanned aerial vehicles
The budget request contained $216.7 million in PE 35205D
for endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (EUAV). The request for
high altitude EUAVs contained $96.0 million for Global Hawk and
$54.6 million for DarkStar, while $15.0 million was requested
for the medium altitude UAV Predator.
The committee notes that the Department initiated Advanced
Concept Technology Demonstrations (ACTD) to develop and
demonstrate the two high altitude EUAVs in 1995 in order to
permit the rapid and affordable evaluation of advanced
capabilities. The EUAV ACTD also included the specific
requirement that the two EUAV candidates must prove the ability
to be procured at a unit cost of $10.0 million or less before
being selected to perform the EUAV mission. The committee
understands that the Global Hawk is to provide continuous, all-
weather, day/night, wide-area reconnaissance and surveillance
in direct support of the joint forces commander. The DarkStar
is intended to provide essentially the same capabilities, but
is designed to employ stealth technology to operate in high
threat environments.
While the committee supports the need for determining the
military utility of long-dwell UAVs for broad area coverage, it
remains concerned about the two high altitude EUAVs. The
concern is heightened by the recent DOD Inspector General
report that states a lack of clear military worth of the
current high altitude EUAV efforts. Further, the committee is
concerned that current efforts are pushing the technologies
involved and not specifically demonstrating proven/existing
technologies (a major issue raised in the DOD IG report). The
committee is also aware of system reliability and
maintainability concerns and is concerned that it appears as
though there is an apparent rush to this unproved UAV solution.
In fact, the Department's own documentation shows that roughly
39 percent of the airborne reconnaissance budget is going into
proving UAVs--an extremely high percentage to demonstrate
unproved capabilities that have marginally stated requirements.
The EUAV ACTD management plan states that the number of
Global Hawk and DarkStar EUAVs produced may be changed based on
program status or user input. The committee understands that an
adequate test program can be conducted with four Global Hawk
air vehicles, four DarkStar air vehicles and two ground control
stations, and strongly recommends that the Department complete
the ACTDs, and user evaluations of the EUAV's military worth,
before authorizing a high altitude EUAV acquisition program.
The committee understands that the Department currently
plans to suspend Global Hawk and DarkStar production after
delivery of a total of five prototypes each in fiscal year 1997
until both UAVs have been proven airworthy. The committee
endorses this decision and recommends that all Global Hawk and
DarkStar UAV assets remaining after completion of ACTD testing
be transferred to the Air Force Air Combat Command for
continued evaluation and user operational testing.
The medium altitude EUAV, the Predator, was established as
an ACTD in response to an urgent requirement identified by the
Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in 1993. The committee notes that
while there have been some problems with this system, Predator
is the first ACTD to complete transition to a production
program. The success of the Predator in a number of continental
United States exercises and two operational deployments to
Bosnia has prompted the JCS to seek additional funding for
Predator, including a number of pre-planned product improvement
(P3I) upgrades to be included with production systems. Of the
funds requested for fiscal year 1998, $4.4 million are
designated for beginning development and integration of P3I
upgrades. The committee recommends elsewhere in this report
that additional procurement funding be provided to accelerate
these upgrades.
Facial recognition technology
The budget request contained $29.1 million for the DOD
counter-terror technical support (CTTS) program in PE 63122D.
The CTTS is an interagency program for development and
demonstration of surveillance, physical security, and
infrastructure protection technology. The committee fully
supports use of advanced technology to control access to
critical facilities, and recommends an increase of $5.0 million
for the development and demonstration of biometric access
control technology, including the use of authentication
software and the principal component method of facial
recognition.
.............
High altitude endurance unmanned aerial vehicle common ground segment
The budget request contained $51.1 million in PE 35205D for
the high altitude endurance (HAE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
common ground segment (CGS), $9.0 million of which was for
testing.
The committee understands that $10.0 million of fiscal year
1997 funds were authorized and appropriated for this same
testing. The committee also understands that such testing was
not completed due to the delays in both HAE advanced concept
technology demonstrations. Therefore, the committee recommends
$42.1 million, a decrease of $9.0 million.
.............
Smart unattended undersea sensors
The budget request contained $69.1 million in PE 63763E for
the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency marine technology
program, including $21.9 million for development of sensor and
sonar technologies, advanced ship mechanical systems, and
advanced maritime platforms.
The committee is aware that the proliferation of quiet
diesel-electric submarines in the fleets of potentially hostile
nations represents a significant threat to U.S. Naval forces
operating in the shallower waters of the world's littoral
regions, where environmental factors of acoustic propagation,
reverberation and ambient noise degrade the capabilities of
existing acoustic detection systems. While improvements are
being made in active and passive acoustic sensors systems for
surface ships and submarines, the committee believes that the
development of smart unattended undersea sensors capable of
detecting, classifying, and reporting the presence of threat
submarines to a remote monitoring center could significantly
improve the capability of the anti-submarine warfare system of
systems. The committee understands that such sensors could be
capable of both passive listening and active echo reception,
and could exploit recent advances in computer chip technology,
information processing, global positioning system navigation,
and cellular communications. The committee recommends an
increase of $4.0 million in PE 63763E for development and
demonstration of the technology for smart unattended undersea
sensors.
Special operations intelligence systems development
The committee is aware of the significant importance of
mission familiarization for the special operation forces and
the technology investments being made by joint Department of
Defense activities.
The Department, through its development of the Virtual
Light Table, has displayed a highly effective, user friendly
environment that is being adapted by the special operations
forces for mission familiarization. This effort is intended to
serve as a model for infusion of commercial technology into the
DOD training environment. The committee views the Mission
Familiarization Virtual Reality Project (MFVRP) as a
cornerstone for greatly expanded mission familiarization and a
new intelligence dissemination methodology. The committee
recommends that the Special Operations Command pursue
development of the MFVRP virtual reality technology and
recommends an increase of $3.0 million in PE 1160405BB for this
effort.
Special technology support
The budget request contained $11.8 million in PE 63704D,
for various Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Intelligence
and Security) quick reaction intelligence support projects.
The committee fully supports funding for the Department's
efforts to quickly respond to unforeseen theater and unified
command technical requirements. However, the committee believes
the justifications provided for fiscal year 1998 indicate that
much of the activities in this program do not fall within this
category and ought to be pursued, if at all, by the services or
other DOD technology development agencies.
Therefore, the committee recommends an authorization of
$9.8 million for this project, a decrease of $2.0 million.
.............
Tactical unmanned aerial vehicle
The budget request contained $122.0 million for Tactical
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (TUAV) in PE 35204D, including $87.5
million for the Outrider Advanced Concept Technology
Demonstration (ACTD) program.
The committee understands that the purpose of the Outrider
ACTD is to assemble and demonstrate a significant new tactical
reconnaissance military capability based on matureadvanced
technology. The Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office (DARO)
established the Joint Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (JTUAV) program
from two previously unsuccessful programs, the close range and the
maneuver UAVs. The DARO conducted a competitive selection which
evaluated nine candidates and awarded a twenty-four month contract for
the Outrider JTUAV in May 1996. The ``best value'' selection was based
on the ability to successfully develop and deliver six ACTD systems,
each consisting of four air vehicles and a ground control station with
associated equipment, within the 24 months schedule, and, in part on
the winning contractor's successful flight demonstration of the Hellfox
air vehicle. The committee is informed that Outrider ACTD is well
behind schedule and experiencing serious performance problems. Its
first flight, scheduled for November 1996, did not occur until March
1997.
The committee supports efforts to streamline the current
acquisition process and enable demonstrated capability to
transition quickly to production. However, the committee is
extremely concerned that the Outrider ACTD appears to have
circumvented important acquisition criteria and milestones,
including the need for the program to address a validated
military requirement. The Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint
Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) has failed to formally
validate a joint operational requirement for the JTUAV, which
contradicts the Department's own guidance that ACTDs must
address user requirements clearly enough to firmly establish
operational utility and system integrity.
The committee is fully aware of the technical problems that
have plagued development of the Outrider UAV. Outrider is
experiencing serious shortcomings that indicate that the
program is not based on mature technology. The committee
understands that the program is under special review by the
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology, and
is being considered for cancellation by the Department. The
technical problems with the Outrider UAV, and recent
observations/statements by the Director, DARO that the
Department was ``going to cut its losses'' on the program
appear to lend creditability to this notion. The committee
recommends a decrease of $87.5 million, resulting in no funding
for the outrider ACTD. To address urgent service requirments
for tactical UAVs, the committee recommends an increase $10.0
million to support a vertical takeoff and landing UAV
competition that was recently initiated by the DARO. In
addition, the committee recommends an increase of $11.5 million
of the funds authorized be made available to provide a
dedicated Predator UAV system and associated equipment,
including at least two aircraft equipped with synthetic
aperture radar and Ku-band link, for operational
experimentation and testing of the common UAV Tactical Control
System (TCS).
To ensure a viable transition from the Outrider ACTD,
elsewhere in the report the committee recommends an additional
$10.0 million in operations and maintenance, Army, for
operating currently owned Hunter UAVs. Finally, the committee
believes there are a number of existing UAVs, including Hellfox
(from which the Outrider was derived), the Prowler, and others
that could satisfy the Army's tactical short range UAV
requirement. Therefore, the committee recommends $20.0 million
in aircraft procurement, Army, for acquiring an ``off-the-
shelf'' tactical UAV with minimum development. The UAV selected
is to be equipped with a digital data link that is compatible
with the Army digital architecture for the future.
In summary, the committee recommends a decrease of $66.0
million for tactical UAVs. The committee directs the Secretary
of the Army to provide a report to the Congressional defense
committees outlining the short range UAV acquisition strategy
no later than February 1, 1998. None of these funds may be
obligated prior to submission of this report
.............
Transfer of cooperative engagement capability operating frequency band
Title VI of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
(Public Law 103-66) requires the federal government to provide
a span of radio frequencies aggregating not less than 200 Mhz
for allocation to the public. To minimize negative impact on
the federal government, the act requires that the spectrum to
be reallocated must not be ``required for the present or
identifiable future needs of the Federal Government'' and
should not result in costs to the federal government that
exceed the benefits gained. In February 1995, the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce, recommended reallocation of 50 MHz from
within the operating frequency band of the Navy's cooperative
engagement capability (CEC) system. In the statement of
managers accompanying the conference report on H.R. 3230 (H.
Rept. 104-724), the conferees directed the Secretary of the
Navy to prepare a detailed report on: (1) progress being made
to resolve spectrum interference that would result from the
reallocation of the CEC operating band, and (2) steps being
taken to resolve interference between CEC and other fleet
weapon systems and data links.
According to the Department of Defense (DOD) and the
General Accounting Office (GAO), this transfer could result in
the loss of a total of 200 MHz (one-third of the CEC's usable
operating frequencies) and could severely affect the
operational capability of the CEC. DOD officials have also
indicated to the GAO that current and future spectrum
reallocations could significantly degrade the capabilities of
many major weapons systems in addition to the CEC and could
cost the Department hundreds of millions of dollars to modify
systems and/or rent frequencies from the private sector or
foreign governments. The committee is informed, however, that
the full implications of the 1993 act are not yet known and
that the Department is conducting a comprehensive analysis of
spectrum requirements for critical systems in order to
determine the extent that operational effectiveness of these
systems could be affected by loss ofthe frequency spectrum. The
committee also understands that a recent DOD study indicates that the
Department's top level spectrum management for planning, policy, and
oversight is diffused and weak and that there is no single high-level
DOD point of contact for spectrum management.
In response to H. Rept. 104-724, the Secretary of the Navy
has reported that the Navy is working with the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) to minimize interference with
civilian applications in the reallocated frequency band and the
effect of the reallocation on CEC performance. The Secretary's
report also states that the Navy's preferred technical option
for resolution of interference between CEC and the LAMPS Mk III
data link is moving the LAMPS data link to the Ku-band. Should
the Navy choose this option for resolution of the problem, the
committee expects that the funding required for the transfer
will be included in the fiscal year 1999 defense budget
request.
The committee concurs with the steps taken by the Navy to
address the issues raised in the House report, but believes
that the problem should be addressed in a more comprehensive
manner by the Secretary of Defense. The committee encourages
the Secretary to assign responsibility for overall radio
frequency spectrum management to a specific organization within
the Department. The committee directs the Secretary to prepare
a report to the Congress, in coordination with the Chairman of
the FCC and the Secretary of Commerce, which addresses: (1)
agreements on measures being taken to resolve the impact of the
transfer of 50 Mhz from the radio frequency operating band of
the cooperative engagement capability (CEC); (2) the impact of
transfers of the federal radio frequency spectrum on other
critical military systems; (3) how the DOD plans to modify the
CEC and other critical systems, including estimated costs and
schedule, to compensate for any operational degradation that
might be caused by losses of the radio frequency spectrum due
to such transfers; and (4) any unresolved issues in joint
frequency spectrum management and impediments to the
resolutions of these issues. The report shall be submitted to
the Congress by March 31, 1998.
United States imagery and geospatial system improvements
The budget request contained $109.4 million in PE 35102BQ,
for the national imagery and mapping agency's (NIMA)
development, procurement and integration of an end-to-end
imagery production capability for geospatial information.
The Director of NIMA has officially embraced the Defense
Science Board's (DSB) direction to move NIMA from production of
products to the maintenance of geospatial information, a move
the committee supports. One of the DSB's recommendation
included trading off production of lower priority products and
less critical functions in order to fund NIMA's more pressing
technical needs, thereby allowing the agency to move more
rapidly in implementing future technical capabilities. However,
judging from the budget request, the committee does not believe
NIMA's technology investment is sufficient to efficiently and
effectively transition to these capabilities.
Therefore, the committee recommends $124.4 million, an
increase of $15.0 million for developing and fielding the
modern imagery and mapping technologies.
.............
Verification technology demonstration
The budget request contained $83.4 million in PE 63711H for
verification technology demonstration.
The committee understands that the requested funding
increase of $54.3 million is to initiate a new program for
monitoring associated with the comprehensive test ban treaty
(CTBT), and that this program was previously administered by
the Air Force, with anticipated expenditures for fiscal year
1998 of $29.0 million. The committee finds that the capability
to conduct such activities, with regard to seismic events
within the United States and its territories already exists
within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), an agency of the
Department of the Interior. Therefore, CTBT functions and
obligations associated with seismic events occurring within the
United States should be performed by the USGS, and a redundant
technical capability should not be created within the
Department of Defense. The committee recommends no funds for
use by the Department of Defense for the purpose of
establishing an independent capability to monitor, analyze, and
report on domestic seismic events, as part of the CTBT
functions or obligations.
The committee, therefore, recommends $69.1 million, a
decrease of $14.3 million in PE 63711H. Of the amount
authorized, $11.0 million is recommended to be solely for
seismic research and technology development. Additionally, of
the amount authorized, the committee directs that not more than
$20.0 million may be obligated until memoranda of agreement are
signed between the Department of Defense and the U.S.
Geological Survey delineating relationships associated with
seismic sensing and CTBT monitoring.
.............
Section 213--Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
This section would direct that: (1) no funds be made
available for the Outrider advanced concept technology
demonstration program, (2) that $10.0 million be made available
to carry out a competition for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
capable of vertical takeoff and landing, and (3) that $11.5
million be made available to provide a Predator UAV system to
facilitate development of a common tactical control system.
.............
Intelligence Matters
Budget Justification Materials
The Congressional Budget Justification Books (CBJBs) for
the National Foreign Intelligence Program (NFIP) and the
Congressional Justification Books (CJBs), for the Joint
Military Intelligence Program (JMIP) and Tactical Intelligence
and Related Activities (TIARA) represent the official
documentation provided yearly by the intelligence Community
Management Staff (CMS) and the Department of Defense to the
Congress on the President's intelligence budget request. These
documents provide the official budget numbers, by program, with
which Congress evaluates the President's proposed intelligence
program and renders decisions on individual programs and policy
matters.
However, the committee is concerned that the current budget
documents lack several critical components necessary for the
Congress to ensure the proper alignment of funding within the
funding appropriations categories. Clear identification of each
project; its specific budget request numbers; the appropriation
category (e.g. Other Procurement, Defense-wide; RDT&E, Navy;
etc.); the budget request line number, and, if a research and
development project, the Program Element number is essential to
this task. Further, the committee requires a detailed
accounting of all program reprogramming and reallocation
actions, where unallocated cuts were taken, identification of
total program costs (such as aircraft or spacecraft and
association ground station costs, including system engineering
and systems integration costs and operations support).
Therefore, the committee directs the CMS and the Department to
provide this specific data in all future budget justification
documents.
Finally, the committee is also concerned that past and
current budget justification documents have not consistently
shown all direct and associated funds requests for intelligence
programs. Research and development costs in the Defense
Cryptologic Program, for example, are not identified
specifically with the programs that are the direct
beneficiaries. Also, operations and maintenance costs are often
carried in a service's total obligation authority and not
specifically identified in the CBJBs. The committee cannot
fully understand the magnitude of budgetary actions without
fully and clearly understanding all the costs of a program.
Therefore, the committee directs that in future CBJBs and
CJBs all direct and associated costs, in each budgetary
category (e.g. procurement, research and development,
operations and maintenance, military construction, etc.), be
clearly and completely provided in each program request.
Command and Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence
Integrated Architecture Plan
The budget request contained $3.6 million for the Command
and Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I)
Integrated Architecture Plan (CIAP).
CIAP provides the Commanders in Chief (CINCs) in-depth
analysis of region-centric intelligence issues resulting in
regional intelligence support plans, resource programming and
operational architecture designs. The committee has been very
supportive of this effort, and is concerned that it is once
again underfunded jeopardizing the completion of CIAP plans for
several of the regional CINCs. The committee believes these
plans provide a unique analytical basis for future intelligence
decisions, and that intelligence funding will be most
effectively programmed and expended with such analysis.
Therefore, the committee recommends a total of $9.3 million
for the CIAP efforts, an increase of $5.7 million.
Defense Space Reconnaissance Program (DSRP)
The committee believes there is no longer a need to
maintain the (DSRP), a program within the Joint Military
Intelligence Program (JMIP). The Defense Support Program Office
(DSPO), operated by DSRP funds, was established to provide an
overt coordination mechanism for providing National
Reconnaissance Office (NRO) system capabilities to military
users. Since the NRO is now declassified, the committee
believes that there is no longer a need to maintain this
special DSRP liaison function.
Therefore, the committee directs that, effective October 1,
1998, the DSRP be abolished, and all funds properly apportioned
to the services, defense agencies and the NRO. The committee
further directs that, no later than February 1, 1998, the
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Command & Control,
Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) and the Director,
NRO provide the defense and intelligence authorizing committees
a joint plan, including the transfer of funding, for
transitioning the functions of the DSPO and the DSRP.
Foreign Instrumentation Intelligence
The budget request contained no funding or personnel
billets in the Joint Military Intelligence Program (JMIP) for
Foreign Instrumentation Intelligence (FISINT) analysis.
The committee is concerned about the significant reduction
in the number of weapons-specific FISINT analysts. While some
decline in this capability may have been justified following a
decline in Russian missile test activities, it is not
consistent with the corresponding increase in missile
developments and testing by other nations. Numerous countries
that did not retain such weapons capabilities during the bi-
polar Cold War era are now able to obtain or indigenously
develop high technology missiles and components. Many of these
weapons could be used to threaten U.S. and allied forces. The
committee is convinced that weapons FISINT analyst levels have
dropped too far as important analysis of weapons systems have
been postponed, and gaps in U.S. understanding of new weapon
systems are widening.
Therefore, the committee recommends that of the positions
realized as result of the abolishment of the Defense Airborne
Reconnaissance Office elsewhere in this report, ten military
personnel and five civilian personnel should be made available
to the Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, under his
authorities as the Defense General Intelligence Applications
Program Coordinator, to rebuild weapons FISINT analysis
capabilities. The Director, DIA will allocate these billets to
the National SecurityAgency, the National Aerospace
Intelligence Center, the Missiles and Space Intelligence Center, and
the Office of Naval Intelligence as required.
Imagery and Geospatial System Production
The budget request contained $541.8 million for continued
operations of National Imagery and Mapping Agency's (NIMA)
Geospatial System Production and Customer support.
The Director of NIMA has officially stated that, because of
the large operations and maintenance cost of older production
equipment, the Agency will completely phase out the legacy
Digital Production System (DPS) by the year 2000. Although the
overall NIMA operations and maintenance budget decreases
slightly in fiscal year 1998, very little of this decrease is
due to a reduction in legacy system funding. The committee
notes that migration away from DPS began in fiscal year 1997,
and a more significant decline in funding should result in
fiscal year 1998.
Therefore, the Committee recommends $501.4 million for this
activity, a decrease of $40.0 million.
Intelligence System Interoperability
The budget request contained $196.6 million for Command and
Control, Communications, Computer Intelligence (C4I) support
system development and interoperability, and for establishing a
virtual intelligence analysis environment. The systems
identified within this request are contained within the
National Foreign Intelligence Program (NFIP), the Joint
Military Intelligence Program (JMIP) and the Tactical
Intelligence and Related Activities (TIARA) aggregation, and
include the following programs:
(1) Joint Intelligence Virtual Architecture;
(2) Joint Deployable Intelligence Support System
(JDISS)
(3) All Source Analysis System (ASAS);
(4) Joint Maritime Communications Information System
(JMCIS);
(5) Combat Intelligence System (CIS);
(6) Analysis System (IAS); and
(7) JDISS-Special Operations Command Research,
Analysis, and Threat Evaluation System (SOCRATES).
The committee supports the Department's efforts to provide
an interoperable intelligence dissemination architecture and a
``virtual'' analytical environment with which analysts world-
wide can collaborate. However, the committee believes the
various projects reflected in the President's request do not
have the necessary direction and control to require the sharing
of developments and to ensure that duplication of effort is
minimized, as demonstrated by a review of the budget
justification documents.
Further, the committee believes that the systems stated
above can be broken down into the basic components of 1) a high
powered workstation with communications; 2) an operating
environment that, by direction of the Assistant Secretary of
Defense (C3I) must be Defense Intelligence Infrastructure (FII)
and Common Operating Environment (COE) compliant; and 3) a set
of applications software. While the common stated goal of the
above systems is to provide support to analysts and operators,
the program managers of these systems rarely, if ever, work
together to achieve common goals by sharing ideas and
developments.
Therefore, the committee is convinced of the need to
establish a management focal point within the Department that
would involve includes representation from each of the service
and agency system program offices. The mission for this
organization would be to provide oversight, integration, and
development of collaborative applications for the associated
C4I systems. The function of this organization should not be to
dictate specific service or agency hardware solutions or unique
software applications, but to provide for the development of
common applications, act as a conduit for sharing analytical
ideas and processes, and to ensure world-wide interoperability
via standards. The committee does not support the concept of
centralizing funding for these efforts, since these systems are
the responsibilities of the various services and agencies.
Therefore, the committee directs that no more than 50
percent of the funds authorized for the above systems be
obligated or expended, until the Assistant Secretary of Defense
(C3I) provides the defense and intelligence authorizing
committees with a plan for creating a management focal point
within the Department with a charter encompassing the goals
outlined.
Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar
The budget request contained $23.2 million to continue
development of the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar
(IFSAR) mission to collect Digital Terrain Elevation Data
(DTED) level 2 information. The IFSAR mission is scheduled to
fly on the Space Shuttle in the 2000 timeframe. The IFSAR
mission itself will cost $163.3 million, with $98.4 million for
follow-on analysis.
The committee continues to believe that there are other,
more cost-effective alternatives to the IFSAR mission for
collecting DTED level 2 data. One such alternative appears to
be an algorithm developed by commercial industry that allows
DTED level 2 data to be derived from the European Resource
Satellites (ERS-1 and -2). The Canadian RADARSAT also appears
to be able to satisfy this requirement. Additionally, new
processes for aircraft with SAR capabilities hold great
potential. Therefore, the committee recommends cancellation of
the IFSAR mission and a corresponding reduction of $23.2
million in the National Imagery and Mapping Agency budget.
Joint Planning and Program Review
The budget request contained $6.6 million for Defense
Intelligence Agency (DIA) general support to the defense
community. This request included funding for moving DIA
elements within the Pentagon and to leased space due to anti-
terrorism and force protection direction from the Office of the
Secretary of Defense.
The committee supports new DIA efforts, within this
project, to provide intelligence assessments, intelligence
inputs to Defense Planning Guidance, and other intelligence
support functions. The committee hopes that these efforts are
indeed havingan impact on defense planning and programming. The
committee further notes that the budget justification materials assert
that these DIA assessments have ``determined shortfalls in current
high-cost reconnaissance and surveillance programs and identified/
prioritized specific near-term solutions, which resulted in great
savings across Future Year Defense Plan (FYDP).'' Therefore, the
committee requests that the Director of DIA provide the defense and
intelligence committees a report on these assessments before the fiscal
year 1998 conference.
Further, the Committee does not believe there is adequate
justification in the request for a 35 percent increase in
funding for moving personnel. Therefore, the committee
recommends a limitation on the obligation of $2.0 million of
the request until the Department provides the committee with a
detailed explanation and rationale for the increased costs
incurred by the DIA for these forced moves.
National Imagery and Mapping Agency Civilian Personnel
The budget request contained $680.3 million for running the
National Imagery and Mapping Agency's (NIMA) mapping and
geospatial information operations, including funding for 6,389
civilian personnel positions.
The Director of NIMA has stated that NIMA's Digital
Production System (DPS) will no longer be operational by the
year 2000, and that NIMA's primary role in mapping will evolve
to that of maintaining information databases instead of
producing imagery and other intelligence products. If realized,
this approach should result in a greater decline in required
personnel over the current mandatory downsizing reductions,
since the majority of NIMA personnel currently support the
development of intelligence products. The committee supports
the effort to move away from DPS, however, the committee
believes that NIMA has failed to properly take into account the
effect this plan will have on personnel levels. Therefore, the
committee recommends a decrease of $15.0 million in civilian
personnel funds to accelerate the downsizing of NIMA's
personnel consistent with the DPS phase out.
Further, personnel costs account for more than half of
NIMA's operations and maintenance request and consequently,
more than half of its budget. The committee believes that NIMA
must drastically reduce its workforce and become more efficient
if it is to be able to fulfill its mission in the information
age. Therefore, the committee directs the Director of NIMA to
submit a personnel plan to the Congressional defense and
intelligence committees containing a forecast of the required
personnel levels over the Future Years Defense Program given
NIMA's new direction in the geospatial arena. This plan should
include an assessment of the types of skills required in the
future versus what NIMA now possesses, a breakdown per year of
the types of personnel positions that shows how NIMA's
demographics will change as the agency moves to its required
skill mix, an assessment of whether cartographer personnel
slots can be transformed into imagery analyst slots and the
potential for retraining cartographers into imagery analysts,
and an assessment of the challenges and obstacles facing the
agency in achieving the necessary personnel reductions,
including suggested remedies for such obstacles. The committee
requests that an interim plan be submitted by August 1, 1997,
with a final plan to be provided by December 1, 1997.
National Imagery and Mapping Agency Mission Support
The budget request contained $147.6 million for National
Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) facilities management.
As NIMA consolidates facilities, the committee expects to
see a marked decline in mission support costs. Such a decline
is not apparent in the budget request justification materials.
Therefore, the committee recommends a decrease of $10.0
million. Further, the committee requests that the Director of
NIMA submit a facilities plan that lays out locations and
functions of all current facilities, and describes NIMA's
strategy to consolidate and reduce its facility holdings. The
committee requests that an interim plan be submitted by August
1, 1997, with a final plan to be provided by December 1, 1997.
Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
The budget request contained $2.2 million in the Army
Operations and Maintenance account for continued operation of
one-to-two Hunter UAV systems currently owned by the U.S. Army.
This request was not, however, reflected in the Army's Tactical
Intelligence and Related Activities (TIARA) request.
The committee understands that the Army is operating at
least 2 full Hunter systems and has recently sent a partial
system to the Navy. The remaining systems are in storage. With
the cancellation of Hunter procurement, the cancellation of the
Maneuver UAV, and the delay in the Outrider Advanced Concept
Technology Demonstration, the committee is concerned with the
need to satisfy near-term Army tactical UAV requirements. The
committee believes the best short-term solution is for the Army
to operate the systems it currently owns. Therefore, the
committee recommends an additional $10 million in the Army's
Tactical Intelligence and Related Applications aggregation for
operation of additional Hunter UAVs to satisfy Army tactical
reconnaissance requirements and to refine tactical UAV
operational procedures. The committee does not authorize
additional or attrition Hunter air vehicle purchases, nor does
it authorize technical improvements to the air vehicle or its
electronic systems. Finally the committee notes that this is a
Congressional interest item and directs that the Army receive
prior defense and intelligence committee approval before
redistributing these funds for any purpose other than that
authorized above.
Tactical Information Program
The budget request contained $5.2 million in Operations and
Maintenance, Air Force, partly for operation of the Integrated
Broadcast Service (IBS) executive agency by the Air
Intelligence Agency (AIA).
The committee believes the budget request does not
adequately fund the increased operational demands levied on AIA
as a result of the decision by the Assistant Secretary of
Defense (C3I) to direct the Air Force to manage the development
of the IBS data broadcast program. Therefore, the committee
recommends an increase of $4.0 million for this purpose.
Elsewhere in this report, the committee recommends a reduction
of$3.0 million from PE 0304111F, R-169 and $1 million from
Other Procurement, Air Force, line 113, as an offset for this increase.
Tactical Support
The budget request contained $9.9 for continued support to
the Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities (TENCAP)
programs, to provide management support to intelligence
processes, and for funding contingency operations for Operation
Southern Watch.
Elsewhere in this report, the committee has recommended
reductions to the TENCAP programs, as it believes the
utilization of space has become more commonplace, and therefore
requires less specialized management support. Additionally, the
committee does not believe a funding increase for Operation
Southern Watch is justified.
Therefore, the committee recommends $8.7 million for this
effort, a reduction of $1.2 million.
.............
Other Issues
.............
Computer Crimes and Information Technology Security
Although highlighted in the Quadrennial Defense Review, the
committee is concerned by the modest support from the
Department of Defense (DOD) leadership for improving
information security for non-classified systems. The committee
is aware that in response to concerns raised in the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (Public Law 104-
201), several computer investigations training, computer
forensics laboratory, and hardware and software improvement
programs are under development. To ensure consistency of such
training and system improvements throughout DOD and build on
the efforts of the Air Force and Navy, the committee directs
the Secretary of Defense to establish a standard training
program, open to participation by members of all relevant
programs in the military departments and defense agencies. This
standard program should provide the necessary training,
forensic laboratory, and hardware and software support to
strengthen DOD's capabilities to identify, respond, and protect
information system vulnerabilities. The committee recommends
that of the funds authorized for Operations and Maintenance for
fiscal year 1998, $9.8 million should be made available to
support these programs.
.............
TITLE IX--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST
.............
LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS
.............
Section 907--Termination of the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office
This section would abolish the Defense Airborne
Reconnaissance Office (DARO), and transfer specified management
responsibilities for the defense airborne reconnaissance
program to the Director, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
under his authorities as Director of Military Intelligence
(DMI) and Joint Military Intelligence Program (JMIP)
Coordinator. The Director, DIA would be further required to
provide a transition plan, with a draft DMI DARP charter, to
the Congressional defense and intelligence committees no later
than the submission of the fiscal year 1999 President's budget.
Since creation, the DARO has failed to successfully develop
new unmanned aerial vehicles, except for Predator, which was
under development prior to formation of the DARO. DARO-managed
UAV acquisition programs have been marred with program delays,
cost escalation, technical problems and in general, failure to
provide the services with this critical new capability.
Therefore, this provision is intended to return UAV system
acquisition responsibility to the appropriate military
services, while retaining overall airborne reconnaissance
coordination and oversight responsibility within the Department
of Defense.
TITLE X--GENERAL PROVISIONS
Counterdrug Activities
Overview
The budget request for Department of Defense Fiscal Year
1998 drug interdiction and counterdrug activities contained
$652.6 million, plus $156.0 for operational tempo which is
included within the operating budgets of the military services.
This represents a net decrease of $154.4 million from the
fiscal year 1997 appropriated level of $807.0, and an increase
of $5.6 million for operational tempo from the fiscal year 1997
appropriated level of $150.4.
The committee recommends an authorization for fiscal year
1998 defense counterdrug activities as follows:
[In thousands of dollars]
FY98 Drug Interdiction & Counterdrug Request.................. $652,582
Dismantling Cartels....................................... 54,306
Source Nation Support..................................... 166,763
Detection and Monitoring.................................. 124,686
Law Enforcement Agency Support............................ 223,589
Demand Reduction.......................................... 83,238
Recommended Decreases:
National Imagery & Mapping Agency (Project #1401)......... 800
Non-Intrusive Inspection Systems (Project #1403).......... 4,611
Recommended Increases:
Gulf States Counterdrug Initiative (Project #7406)........ 4,000
Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force (Project #7408)........... 1,000
Optionally Piloted Air Vehicle (PE #305889D).............. 2,500
Southwest Border Fence Project............................ 7,000
Recommendation................................................ 661,671
Items of Special Interest
C-26 aircraft photo reconnaissance upgrade
The budget request does not contain funding for the Common
Airborne Imagery Processing System (CAIPS) and electro optical
(EO) sensors for the Air National Guard C-26 aircraft.
The committee understands that the procurement of EO
sensors and CAIPS would allow the National Guard to upgrade the
current chemical-based imagery capability to a digital system
which could provide near-real time photo-quality imagery to
requesting law enforcement agencies. Accordingly, the committee
urges the Department to evaluate this reconnaissance capability
and consider funding the C-26 upgrade from within the fiscal
year 1998 National Guard program.
Gulf states counterdrug initiative
The committee continues to support the Gulf States
Counterdrug Initiative (GSCI) and is concerned that the budget
request of $1.1 million does not adequately support the funding
requirements of this program. The committee understands that
this funding level does not include sufficient system training
costs or the sustainment of command, control, communications
and computer (C4) capabilities for the states of Alabama,
Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Therefore, the committee recommends an authorization of
$5.1 million, an increase of $4.0 million over the requested
amount to support these program improvements. The committee
maintains that none of these funds should be utilized for
construction or other infrastructure-related costs; rather,
funds authorized for this program should continue to be used in
support of training, on-site support and maintenance of the C4
network and software system. Further, the committee encourages
the designation of non-Department of Defense (DOD) funds for
additional operations and maintenance (O&M) and procurement
costs identified by law enforcement agencies to sustain the
GSCI information system.
Mapping, charting and geodesy
The budget request contained $8.4 million for continued
National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) support to the
Defense Intelligence Counterdrug Program's (DICP) mapping,
charting and geodesy (MC&G) requirements.
The committee has taken action elsewhere in this report
intended to modernize and streamline NIMA MC&G operations. This
action would encourage NIMA to move more rapidly toward
privatization and use of geospatial data maintenance rather
than developing paper map products.
Therefore, the committee recommends an authorization of
$7.6 million for this effort, a decrease of $0.8 million.
Mexican, Caribbean and South American initiative
The committee continues to support the essential role of
the Department of Defense (DOD) in reducing the flow of illegal
drugs into the United States. To accomplish this mission,
Congress has charged the DOD to act as the single lead federal
agency for the detection and monitoring of aerial and maritime
transit of illegal drugs into the United States. In addition,
DOD is to integrate appropriate command, control,
communications, and technical assets of the federal government
into an effective communications network. According to the DOD
Counterdrug Program, the Department supports foreign law
enforcement agencies and military governments by providing
initial detection and monitoring, intelligence, operational
planning assistance, training in tactical procedures and
equipment maintenance, infrastructure improvements, and
logistics/communications support. In this capacity, Congress
granted authority to DOD through section 1004 of the National
Defense Authorization Act for FiscalYear 1991, as amended
(Public Law 101-510) and sections 517 and 506(a)(2)(A) of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.
Section 1031 of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 1997 (Public Law 104-201) expanded DOD authority to
provide equipment and maintenance for the Government of Mexico
to aid in its counterdrug activities. This support was granted
conditionally as a short-term, limited means of enhancing
Mexico's counterdrug capabilities and was not intended to
replace or circumvent the established foreign assistance
authorities or resources of the Department of State. However,
the committee is aware of a provision included in the
Administration's legislative proposal that would expand current
DOD authority to include support for not only Mexico, but
Colombia, Peru and selected Caribbean countries; would increase
the amount of support to $150.0 million over five years; and
would expand the nature of support to include lethal equipment
to enhance the interdiction capability of the recipient
nations.
The committee acknowledges the recent success achieved by
participating nations in their combined efforts to stem the
production and transfer of illegal drugs. Specifically, U.S.
and regional forces under Operation Laser Strike successfully
interfered with narcotrafficking along air routes in the Andean
region and have caused the price of coca to plummet. Analysis
suggests that the narcotraffickers may have adjusted to this
initiative and have begun to transit cocaine along the rivers
of the Andean region and the Amazon basin, particularly in
Peru. Based upon this presumption, the Administration's
proposal outlined above is focused on an enhanced riverine
interdiction plan. While the committee supports the
Administration's strategy to pursue a program which capitalizes
upon the achievements of Operation Laser Strike, the current
proposal is inappropriately resourced and uncoordinated among
the U.S. and regional governments and militaries.
The committee is also concerned with the proposed expansion
of DOD authority to provide funds for a foreign assistance
program from within the Department's counterdrug account.
Although the committee continues to support the mission
established by the DOD Counterdrug Program, it believes that
the direct provision of material and assistance to foreign
nations is not a proper utilization of the unique capabilities
offered by DOD. Rather, the Administration's initiative should
be authorized and resourced more appropriately as a part of the
International Narcotics Control Program of the Department of
State. While the proposed legislation advocates a coordinated
management effort between the Departments of Defense and State,
the lack of coordination thus far between the two agencies has
manifested itself in a major disconnect over strategic planning
between U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and the relevant U.S.
embassies. Given the absence of overall integration in planning
among those responsible for the implementation of the program,
the committee questions the Administration's long-term
commitment to this ambitious riverine strategy.
The committee also notes with concern the assumptions made
by the Administration in developing the enhanced riverine
interdiction plan. Although it seems plausible, there has been
no threat assessment to confirm that narcotraffickers have in
fact shifted their transit routes to the rivers in a magnitude
that would justify such an expansion of DOD authorities and
resources. The relevant U.S. embassies and SOUTHCOM have not
contributed to the proposal a coordinated lessons-learned
evaluation of problems encountered and solutions developed as a
result of previous riverine operations in the region, nor does
the plan include an outcome-based reporting system to measure
the program's success. Further, the committee understands that
the Administration's proposal is based upon the presumed
existence of clear roles and missions within the respective
nations' institutions. On the contrary, long-standing rivalries
are certain to hamper the efforts of the host country military
and national police forces without the establishment of direct
counterdrug authorities to foster interagency cooperation.
In addition, the committee is aware of concerns raised by
the General Accounting Office (GAO) in a February 1997 report
entitled ``Drug Control: Long-Standing Problems Hinder U.S.
International Efforts'' (GAO/NSIAD-97-75). The report concluded
that despite legislation mandating end-use monitoring, past
history has shown that the United States has been unable to
ensure that equipment given to Mexico, Colombia and Peru has
been used by the host nations as intended upon delivery. The
committee is concerned with the transfer of equipment,
especially lethal equipment, to unstable governments struggling
against ``narcoguerrillas'' and other insurgent factions. Also,
given the pervasive influence of powerful drug lords over all
levels of government in the proposed participating countries,
the threat of corruption affecting the use of counterdrug
equipment needs to be more fully addressed by the
Administration. The committee notes the existence of corruption
exhibited most recently in Mexico with the arrest of General
Jesus Gutierrez Rebollo, the former Mexican ``drug czar,'' and
by testimony implicating the involvement in drug trafficking of
several other high-ranking Mexican military leaders.
In light of these concerns, the committee strongly urges
the Administration to reevaluate its enhanced interdiction
plan. Should a threat assessment justify the need for an
ambitious riverine effort, coordination between the Departments
of Defense and State needs to preempt any planning at the
SOUTHCOM/U.S. embassy country team level.
Non-Intrusive Inspection Systems
The budget request contained $4.6 million for continued
development of non-intrusive inspection systems, technologies
that enhance the capability to detect narcotics in cargo
container and trucks at U.S. ports of entry.
The committee remains concerned that the agencies involved
with the development of narcotics detection technologies
disagree on the types of systems which need to be developed and
ultimately deployed. According to an April 1997 study by the
General Accounting Office entitled ``Terrorism and Drug
Trafficking: Responsibilities for Developing Explosives and
Narcotics Detection Technologies'' (GAO/NSIAD-97-95), a
detailed procurement methodology has yet to be determined
despite near completion of narcotics detection technology
development. The Office of National Drug Control Policy
(ONDCP), responsible for the coordination and recommendation of
counterdrug technology programs; the U.S. Customs Service,
required to deploy the systems developed by the Department of
Defense (DOD); and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB),
involved in the oversight of Customs' technology plans, are all
currently working to resolve differences in technology
development and deployment. At the request of ONDCP, these
agencies are preparing a five-year technology plan for the
development of non-intrusive inspection systems and currently
estimate a January 1998 completion date of this report.
Since December of 1994, DOD has spent about $30.0 million
to develop technologies which have not been deployed as a
result of concerns with the operational suitability of the
systems. Based upon this experience, the committee recommends
limiting DOD's development efforts until better funding
priorities have been established by the relevant federal
agencies.Therefore, the committee denies the $4.6 million
funding request for non-intrusive inspection system research and
development.
Optionally piloted air vehicle
The budget request contained no funding for the ``Owl''
Optionally Piloted Air Vehicle (OPV).
The committee believes development of this multi-
functional aircraft will provide a unique, low-profile,
airborne observation platform, providing an inexpensive, long-
dwell reconnaissance capability for counterdrug and law
enforcement agencies. The committee understands that funding
for this aircraft would be provided by a federal/private
industry partnership. The majority of funding is to be provided
by the private industry partners.
Therefore, pending the commitment of private industry
funds, the committee recommends $2.5 million for this project
in program element 0305889D.
Southwest border fence project
The committee continues to support the Southwest border
road, fence and lighting project in East San Diego County,
California. The committee notes the need for a reinforced fence
along the fourteen miles of international border east of the
Pacific Ocean, and the construction of second and third fences,
with roads between the fences, to improve border security in
this designated high intensity drug trafficking area (HIDTA).
The committee commends the efforts of the California National
Guard and the Joint Task Force Six (JTF-6) in allocating
sufficient resources for this national priority from within
their respective counterdrug budgets. While the construction of
a triple fence is currently funded from within the immigration
control budget, the committee wishes to ensure the efficient
execution of this project.
Therefore, the committee recommends an increase of $7.0
million to facilitate completion of the Southwest border fence
project from within the law enforcement agencies support
component of the Department of Defense Counterdrug Plan.
Tracker aircraft
The budget request contained $10.0 million for operation of
five specially configured tracker aircraft.
The committee believes the tracker aircraft mission is
more properly aligned with similar missions funded within the
Defense Intelligence Counterdrug Program (DICP) of the Joint
Military Intelligence Program (JMIP).
Therefore, the committee recommends the funding request
for project code 7410, but directs that this amount be
transferred to O&M, Air Force, within the DICP. Further, the
committee directs that future funding requests for this program
be properly identified within the DICP.
Other Matters
Implementation of Whistleblower Protections
The committee is aware of existing concerns over unintended
consequences resulting from the implementation of section 1034
of title 10, United States Code, providing for the protection
of individuals who engage in whistleblower communications with
Members of Congress, the Department of Defense Inspector
General, and any Department of Defense audit, inspection,
investigation, law enforcement organizations, or chain of
command communications. Of particular concern are indications
that the definition of protected communication in the statute
may be overly broad and result in the extension of protections
in a manner that needlessly dilutes available investigative and
other resources. Therefore, the committee directs the
Department of Defense Inspector General to provide the House
National Security Committee and the Senate Armed Services
Committee with a report by March 1, 1998 that examines the
current statutory framework governing the protection of
whistleblower activity, assesses the effectiveness of the
implementation of these provisions and makes any
recommendations for modifications that the Inspector General
finds appropriate.
Intelligence Shortcomings During Persian Gulf War
The Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) has acknowledged
that both during and after the Persian Gulf war:
(1) The intelligence community failed to adequately
alert U.S. military forces to the presence of Iraqi
chemical weapons at the Khamisiyah storage facility;
(2) This failure was the result of avoidable errors
and oversights in processing and analyzing information;
(3) The demolition of Khamisiyah in the aftermath of
the Persian Gulf war on March 4, 1991, by U.S. forces
who were unaware of the presence of Iraqi chemical
weapons stored at the facility, may have inadvertently
exposed U.S. troops to chemical agents.
Furthermore, a study released by the Director of Central
Intelligence on April 9, 1997, acknowledges ``that intelligence
support associated with Operations Desert Shield and Desert
Storm--particularly in the areas of information distribution
and analysis--should have been better. Key issues include
problems with multiple databases; limited sharing of
`sensitive' but vital information; and incomplete searches of
files while preparing lists of known or suspect CW
facilities.'' The study makes a number of general
recommendations for avoiding similar intelligence failures in
the future such as ensuring that intelligence analysts remain
increasingly careful to avoid ``tunnel vision'' in crafting
their judgments.
The committee agrees that these shortcomings in
intelligence analysis and distribution must be corrected so
that similar intelligence failures do not occur in the future.
To that end, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense and
the Director of Central Intelligence to submit a report, not
later than March 1, 1997, to the House Committee on National
Security, the Senate Committee on Armed Services, the House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate
Select Committee on Intelligence describing the actions to be
taken to implement the study's recommendations for avoiding
future situations like those surrounding the Khamisiyah issue.
The report should identify the specific steps planned for
training analysts, reorganizing data bases, and sharing
sensitive information on a broader basis. It also should
outline other steps that will be taken to improve intelligence
analysis and distribution, explain how broadlythese
improvements are being made across functional and regional issue areas,
and indicate when these steps will be implemented.
.............
Subtitle D--Miscellaneous Report Requirements and Repeals
.............
Section 1042--Repeal of Annual Report Requirement Relating to Training
of Special Operations Forces with Friendly Foreign Forces
This section would amend section 2011 of title 10, United
States Code, to repeal the requirement that the Department of
Defense prepare an annual report relating to training of United
States Special Operations Forces with the forces of friendly
foreign governments.
Subtitle E--Other Matters
Section 1051--Authority for Special Agents of the Defense Criminal
Investigative Service to Execute Warrants and Make Arrests
This section would provide the Secretary of Defense with
the authority to authorize special agents of the Defense
Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) to execute and
servewarrants and other process issued under the authority of the
United States. The section also would permit the Secretary of Defense
to authorize DCIS special agents to make warrantless arrests in cases
in which an offense against the United States is committed in the
presence of special agents and in the case of felonies cognizable under
the laws for which such special agents have sufficient probable cause.
The authority of a DCIS agent under this section could only be
exercised in accordance with guidelines approved by the Attorney
General of the United States.
.............
TITLE XXVIII--GENERAL PROVISIONS
ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST
..............
Withdrawals of Public Lands for Military Purposes
The committee stresses the importance to military training
and readiness of adequate ranges and maneuver areas. The
committee notes the requirement in the Military Lands
Withdrawal Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-606) that mandates the
preparation by November 6, 1998 of draft environmental impact
statements and applications for the continued withdrawal from
the public domain of the lands comprising the ranges, maneuver
areas, and other training areas covered by that Act for which
the appropriate secretary of a military department intends to
seek continued or renewed withdrawal of those lands. The
committee urges the appropriate military departments to
complete by that date the requirements for Bravo-20 Bombing
Range, Nevada; Nellis Air Force Range, Nevada; Barry M.
Goldwater Air Force Range, Arizona; McGregor Range, New Mexico;
Fort Greely Maneuver Area and Fort Greely Air Drop Zone,
Alaska; and the Fort Wainwright Maneuver Area, Alaska, so that
continued or renewed withdrawal of those lands for military
purposes may be considered by Congress in a timely and
expeditious manner without potential disruption of training
activities at those sites.
.............
ADDITIONAL VIEWS OF JOHN SPRATT
..........
On a more positive note, I was pleased by several actions
taken by the committee to address needs at Shaw Air Force Base
and the South Carolina National Guard.
The committee fully funded the Air Force's request for
$6.072 million for the construction of an ``information warfare
sq ops facility.'' The facility will house a new information
warfare unit at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff state in Joint Vision 2010 that
information superiority will be a key asset in the battles of
the 21st century. The Research & Development and Procurement
Subcommittees held a hearing this week which underscored this
point. Lt. Gen. Douglas Buchholz, Director for Command Control,
Communications and Computer Systems who represented the JCS at
the hearing explained, ``Our successes in the battlespace of
the future, whether combating large, heavily armed forces or
providing peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance, depend upon
the precise application of force across the full spectrum of
missions. The cornerstone of this effort is the ability to get
the right information to the right place at the right time--or
information superiority.'' The Air Force's information warfare
unit at Shaw is tasked with making informational warfare
``operational at the component level.'' In other words, its
work is where the rubber meets the road, developing methods to
make certain that information technology can be used to
tactical advantage.
The committee included language directing the Air Force to
study the acquisition of land near Shaw without appropriated
funds. This language will allow the Air Force to exercise its
authority, granted in the FY96 Defense Authorization Act to
acquire land adjacent to Shaw. This land will provide a
significant enhancement to the base, improving operational
flexibility for the Air Force.
.............
John Spratt.
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