Relating to the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.
What it does: Adds SEC. 147. MINUTEMAN III INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES at the end of subtitle D of title I
Sen. John Warner (R-VA)What it changes
1 change to S. 2766 · shown in the bill's text
Adds SEC. 147. MINUTEMAN III INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES at the end of subtitle D of title I
Adds a sectionIn S. 2766 · Public Print
(4) The Safety Enhanced Reentry Vehicle (SERV) program.
Inserted: SEC. 147. MINUTEMAN III INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES.
Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
Inserted: (1) In the Joint Explanatory Statement of the Committee of Conference on H.R. 1815, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, the conferees state that the policy of the United States "is to deploy a force of 500 ICBMs". The conferees further note "that unanticipated strategic developments may compel the United States to make changes to this force structure in the future.".
Inserted: (2) The Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) conducted under section 118 of title 10, United States Code, in 2005 finds that maintaining a robust nuclear deterrent "remains a keystone of United States national power". However, notwithstanding that finding and without providing any specific justification for the recommendation, the Quadrennial Defense Review recommends reducing the number of deployed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) from 500 to 450 beginning in fiscal year 2007. The Quadrennial Defense Review also fails to identify what unanticipated strategic developments compelled the United States to reduce the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force structure.
Inserted: (3) The commander of the Strategic Command, General James Cartwright, testified before the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate that the reduction in deployment of Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles is required so that the 50 missiles withdrawn from the deployed force could be used for test assets and spares to extend the life of the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile well into the future. If spares are not modernized, the Air Force may not have sufficient replacement missiles to sustain the force size.
Inserted: (b) Modernization of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles Required.--The Air Force shall modernize Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles in the United States inventory as required to maintain a sufficient supply of launch test assets and spares to sustain the deployed force of such missiles through 2030.
Inserted: (c) Limitation on Termination of Modernization Program Pending Report.--No funds authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Defense may be obligated or expended for the termination of any Minuteman III ICBM modernization program, or for the withdrawal of any Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile from the active force, until 30 days after the Secretary of Defense submits to the congressional defense committees a report setting forth the following:
Inserted: (1) A detailed strategic justification for the proposal to reduce the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force from 500 to 450 missiles, including an analysis of the effects of the reduction on the ability of the United States to assure allies and dissuade potential competitors.
Inserted: (2) A detailed analysis of the strategic ramifications of continuing to equip a portion of the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force with multiple independent warheads rather than single warheads as recommended by past reviews of the United States nuclear posture.
Inserted: (3) An assessment of the test assets and spares required to maintain a force of 500 deployed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles through 2030.
Inserted: (4) An assessment of the test assets and spares required to maintain a force of 450 deployed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles through 2030.
Inserted: (5) An inventory of currently available Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile test assets and spares.
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Inserted: (6) A plan to sustain and complete the modernization of all deployed and spare Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, a test plan, and an analysis of the funding required to carry out modernization of all deployed and spare Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.
Inserted: (7) An assessment of whether halting upgrades to the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles withdrawn from the deployed force would compromise the ability of those missiles to serve as test assets.
Inserted: (8) A description of the plan of the Department of Defense for extending the life of the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force beyond fiscal year 2030.
Inserted: (d) Remote Visual Assessment.--
Inserted: (1) Additional amount for research, development, test, and evaluation, air force.--The amount authorized to be appropriated by section 201(3) for research, development, test, and evaluation for the Air Force is hereby increased by $5,000,000.
Inserted: (2) Availability of amount.--Of the amount authorized to be appropriated by section 201(3) for research, development, test, and evaluation for the Air Force, as increased by paragraph (1), $5,000,000 may be available for ICBM Security Modernization (PE #0604851) for Remote Visual Assessment for security for silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
Inserted: (3) Offset.--The amount authorized to be appropriated by section 103(2) for procurement of missiles for the Air Force is hereby reduced by $5,000,000, with the amount of the reduction to be allocated to amounts available for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle.
Inserted: (e) ICBM Modernization Program Defined.--In this section, the term "ICBM Modernization program" means each of the following for the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile:
Inserted: (1) The Guidance Replacement Program (GRP).
Inserted: (2) The Propulsion Replacement Program (PRP).
Inserted: (3) The Propulsion System Rocket Engine (PSRE) program.
Inserted: (4) The Safety Enhanced Reentry Vehicle (SERV) program.
Original wording
At end of subtitle D of title I, add the following:
Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.
As printed
SA 4520. Mr. WARNER (for himself, Mr. Levin, Mr. Burns, and Mr. Conrad) proposed an amendment to the bill S. 2766, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Forces, and for other purposes; as follows:
At end of subtitle D of title I, add the following:
SEC. 147. MINUTEMAN III INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) In the Joint Explanatory Statement of the Committee of Conference on H.R. 1815, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, the conferees state that the policy of the United States “is to deploy a force of 500 ICBMs”. The conferees further note “that unanticipated strategic developments may compel the United States to make changes to this force structure in the future.”.
(2) The Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) conducted under section 118 of title 10, United States Code, in 2005 finds that maintaining a robust nuclear deterrent “remains a keystone of United States national power”. However, notwithstanding that finding and without providing any specific justification for the recommendation, the Quadrennial Defense Review recommends reducing the number of deployed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) from 500 to 450 beginning in fiscal year 2007. The Quadrennial Defense Review also fails to identify what unanticipated strategic developments compelled the United States to reduce the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force structure.
(3) The commander of the Strategic Command, General James Cartwright, testified before the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate that the reduction in deployment of Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles is required so that the 50 missiles withdrawn from the deployed force could be used for test assets and spares to extend the life of the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile well into the future. If spares are not modernized, the Air Force may not have sufficient replacement missiles to sustain the force size.
(b) Modernization of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles Required.--The Air Force shall modernize Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles in the United States inventory as required to maintain a sufficient supply of launch test assets and spares to sustain the deployed force of such missiles through 2030.
(c) Limitation on Termination of Modernization Program Pending Report.--No funds authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Defense may be obligated or expended for the termination of any Minuteman III ICBM modernization program, or for the withdrawal of any Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile from the active force, until 30 days after the Secretary of Defense submits to the congressional defense committees a report setting forth the following:
(1) A detailed strategic justification for the proposal to reduce the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force from 500 to 450 missiles, including an analysis of the effects of the reduction on the ability of the United States to assure allies and dissuade potential competitors.
(2) A detailed analysis of the strategic ramifications of continuing to equip a portion of the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force with multiple independent warheads rather than single warheads as recommended by past reviews of the United States nuclear posture.
(3) An assessment of the test assets and spares required to maintain a force of 500 deployed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles through 2030.
(4) An assessment of the test assets and spares required to maintain a force of 450 deployed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles through 2030.
(5) An inventory of currently available Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile test assets and spares.
(6) A plan to sustain and complete the modernization of all deployed and spare Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, a test plan, and an analysis of the funding required to carry out modernization of all deployed and spare Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.
(7) An assessment of whether halting upgrades to the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles withdrawn from the deployed force would compromise the ability of those missiles to serve as test assets.
(8) A description of the plan of the Department of Defense for extending the life of the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force beyond fiscal year 2030.
(d) Remote Visual Assessment.--
(1) Additional amount for research, development, test, and evaluation, air force.--The amount authorized to be appropriated by section 201(3) for research, development, test, and evaluation for the Air Force is hereby increased by $5,000,000.
(2) Availability of amount.--Of the amount authorized to be appropriated by section 201(3) for research, development, test, and evaluation for the Air Force, as increased by paragraph (1), $5,000,000 may be available for ICBM Security Modernization (PE #0604851) for Remote Visual Assessment for security for silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
(3) Offset.--The amount authorized to be appropriated by section 103(2) for procurement of missiles for the Air Force is hereby reduced by $5,000,000, with the amount of the reduction to be allocated to amounts available for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle.
(e) ICBM Modernization Program Defined.--In this section, the term “ICBM Modernization program” means each of the following for the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile:
(1) The Guidance Replacement Program (GRP).
(2) The Propulsion Replacement Program (PRP).
(3) The Propulsion System Rocket Engine (PSRE) program.
(4) The Safety Enhanced Reentry Vehicle (SERV) program.
Legislative Activity
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Senate amendment submitted
June 22, 2006
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Senate amendment submitted
June 22, 2006
Senate amendment proposed (on the floor): Amendment SA 4520 proposed by Senator Warner.
June 22, 2006
Senate amendment agreed to: Amendment SA 4520 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
June 22, 2006
Amendment SA 4520 proposed by Senator Warner. (consideration: CR S6377-6392; text: CR S6377-6378) Relating to the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.
June 22, 2006
Amendment SA 4520 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
June 22, 2006