U.S. Missile Defenses: Plans for the West Coast, East Coast, and Europe
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Featuring speakers from the State Department, the Senate Armed Services Committee, and a former White House official, the discussion focused on four key missile defense issues:
- If the next Ground-Based Intercept test hits, does this justify expanding the west coast system?
- Should we field more of the current kill vehicles or wait for the upgrade?
- Do we need an east coast Ground-Based Interceptor site, or are there other higher priorities?
- Should we accelerate European Phased Adaptive Approach in Poland?
The was bipartisan agreement that the West Coast system should be expanded if the next GBI test hits, that the current kill vehicle should be improved, that there is neither the justification or the funding to build a new East Coast site at this time, and that EPAA should not be accelerated, as it is not about Russia. There were dissenting views on the wisdom of expanding the West Coast system using the current kill vehicle, rather than waiting for an improved one, and whether the GBI system could differentiate real targets from fake ones.
Speakers:
- Mr. Frank A. Rose, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Space and Defense Policy
- Dr. Philip Coyle, Senior Science Fellow, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
- Mr. Richard Fieldhouse, Professional Staff Member, Senate Armed Services Committee (Majority)
- Mr. Robert Soofer, Professional Staff Member, Senate Armed Services Committee (Minority)
This project is funded in part by the European Union.
