“Implementing the Ballistic Missile Defense Review” Transcript 3/29/2010 PRESIDENT OBAMA I'm committed to deploying strong missile defense systems which are adaptable to the threats of the 21st century. The best way to responsibly advance our security and the security of our allies is to deploy a missile defense system that best responds to the threats that we face and that utilizes technology that is both proven and cost-effective. NARRATOR Responding to guidance from President Obama and Secretary of Defense Gates, the US Department of Defense finalized a congressionally mandated Ballistic Missile Defense Review. The Review reaffirms the need for reliable limited missile defenses for protection of the United States and effective and more numerous regional defenses against short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles to defend our forces and our allies. LTG PATRIK O’REILLY We are still building a highly integrated layered approach to missile defense, however, the threat, technologies, and operational considerations are continually changing and there comes a time when we need to ensure that our acquisition programs, operational concepts, our policies are all aligned and the BMDR has given us a great opportunity to do that. NARRATOR The Missile Defense Agency will implement the Ballistic Missile Defense Review with a reliable, timely and fiscally responsive approach. Deployment of capabilities to defend the U.S. homeland against limited ballistic missile attack remains a high priority. With the investments made in the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system over the past decade, the United States has a defense in place against limited long-range attacks. The United States employs a network of space-based, ground-based and sea-based sensors using a sophisticated command and control infrastructure to integrate homeland defense operations. In late 2008, the Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the integration of space sensors, land-based radars at Juneau Alaska and Beale Air Force base in California, and sensors on-board Aegis ships and the Sea-Based X-band radar. MDA launched a target missile from Kodiak, Alaska, and a ground-based interceptor from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The command and control node in Colorado Springs conducted the battle management and directed the flow of data throughout the system making it possible for the exo-atmospheric kill vehicle to intercept its target. MDA continues to upgrade the interceptors, ground system components, sensors, and command-and-control. The Agency also rigorously tests our homeland defense system. As the missile fields in Alaska and California and current interceptor production are completed, MDA will establish an interceptor fleet refurbishment, reliability monitoring, and upgrade program to sustain our homeland defenses beyond the next decade. The Agency will enhance missile defense to defend U.S. deployed forces, allies and friends against regional threats and, in the future, defeat large raid sizes and intercept missiles early in flight. To effectively meet this goal, MDA must work closely with the regional combatant commanders in order to support their requirements as it integrates the ballistic missile defense system. GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS The priorities, understandably, are on protection of our own forces and the critical infrastructure that we have established in various areas of the Central Command region, particularly, on the western side of the Gulf. We’re also concerned, though, needless to say, in the protection for our partners and also for their critical infrastructure. NARRATOR Transportable and mobile surface sensors such as AN/TPY-2 and the Aegis SPY-1 can be deployed into a region to enhance defenses in a combatant commander’s area of responsibility. Many forward deployed sensors are co-located with transportable interceptor systems that can be mobilized to defend against regional threats. The Patriot Advanced Capability-3 defends against short-range threats and is deployed today in multiple regions, from the Pacific, to Europe, to the Middle East. The highly transportable Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, will be fielded in the near term to defend against short and medium-range ballistic missiles by intercepting them high in the atmosphere or in space. Aegis ships integrated with SM-2 terminal interceptors and SM-3 hit-to-kill midcourse interceptors provide a mobile capability that may be rapidly deployed to a region to protect against short and medium range ballistic missiles. The United States also is upgrading additional Aegis cruisers and destroyers to a full ballistic missile defense capability. GENERAL PETRAEUS The missile threat from Iran has increased year after year after year. The result is that we now have eight Patriot missile batteries, two in each of four countries on the western side of the Gulf when a couple of years ago, we had none. There are two Aegis cruisers in the Gulf now and so there has been a great deal of focus on the efforts in the overall ballistic missile defense arena. NARRATOR To protect the Allied populations, assets and deployed forces in the European NATO region, the United States has proposed a Phased Adaptive Approach to incrementally deploy missile defenses during this decade. U/S ELLEN TAUSCHER Perhaps the best part of the Phased Adaptive Approach is its flexibility, its flexibility to work with other systems that our developed by our NATO partners and other countries, its ability to network and be responsive to an emerging threat, we can move much more quickly should the threat change to protect ourselves, allies, and forward deployed troops. LTG O’REILLY The Phased Adaptive Approach is not only increasing our capability for deploying regional systems but it also strengthens our layered approach to missile defense, so that we can counter both regional threats and homeland defense threats simultaneously. NARRATOR Phase 1 deployments will include Army AN/TPY-2 and Navy Aegis ballistic missile defenses for protection of Southern Europe against short and medium-range ballistic missiles. Phase 2 will include an upgraded SM-3 interceptor and Aegis Ashore which will deploy the sea-based weapon system on land, additional airborne sensors, and advanced command and control. Phase 3 will provide defenses to protect broad areas against medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles. Phase 4 will respond to the evolving intercontinental ballistic missile threat. Plans include more advanced land based configurations using upgraded SM-3 interceptors, robust command and control, two Aegis Ashore systems and space sensors. ADMIRAL JAMES STAVRIDIS Step one is getting the U.S. system over there and showing it to our European friends. I think the next step is to integrate with NATO and then offer NATO nations the opportunity to build a parallel architecture that can seamlessly bring together the U.S. and the NATO side of this and I think that’s the way we can move forward. NARRATOR This phased adaptive approach can be applied to other global regions. ADMIRAL ROBERT WILLARD When you’re talking ballistic missile defense in the PACOM AOR, you’re talking about size and scope that is immense. We’re talking half the Earth’s surface, 36 nations, thousands of miles of ocean expanse to cover, so the tyranny of distances is what makes PACOM and the ballistic missile defense problem here so unique. NARRATOR MDA proves the system by executing a rigorous test program while working closely with the combatant commanders, services and the independent Army, Navy and Air Force Operational Test Agencies. The new Integrated Master Test Plan includes modeling and simulations and expands the ground and flight test programs over the next several years. The test program helps demonstrate the integration of assets such as THAAD and the AN/TPY-2 radar and the interchangeability of weapons such as THAAD and Aegis ballistic missile defense. MDA involves the warfighters in all stages of development and testing. MDA must deliver reliable, high quality and fiscally sustainable missile defense products. Leveraging emerging technologies to intercept missiles early in their flight can act as a hedge against threat growth and help realize the greatest potential for reducing cost over the long-run by increasing operational effectiveness. Another way to address affordability is to increase international involvement in missile defense. GENERAL PETRAEUS You have countries that have the resources to purchase significant and very advanced ballistic missile defense assets and capabilities, and indeed they have been doing that. NARRATOR It is imperative that MDA system engineers design the system to match the more sophisticated threat as anticipated by the intelligence community. To hedge against future uncertainty, there are a number of on-going development programs to push the edge of the technology envelope, to kill missiles with directed energy, to perform precision tracking from space, and to intercept the target early in its flight. In its effort to improve homeland and regional defenses, MDA launched two demonstration Space Tracking and Surveillance System satellites. Operating in low-earth orbit, STSS satellites will detect, track and discriminate ballistic missiles throughout their trajectories and provide valuable insight into the development of a prototype precision tracking space system. Early intercept will incorporate enhanced command, control, and battle management capabilities, unmanned aerial vehicles, space based sensors and sea-based interceptors placed ashore enabling a shoot-look-shoot tactic to save interceptor inventory. Global diplomacy and understanding is the foundation for achieving international cooperation in regional missile defense. ADMIRAL STAVRIDIS We’re really the technicians in this thing, but we want to be very supportive of State Department as they go forward, so EUCOM, CENTCOM, very much aligned, STRATCOM looking at this globally, all of us supporting the State Department as they go forward in trying to negotiate these complex agreements. NARRATOR The United States combines forces with its international partners in building and strengthening regional missile defenses. Working through the implementation process together, the United States and its allies will reap the benefit of economies of scale and development of high quality, reliable missile defenses. U/S TAUSCHER This was really an opportunity for the Obama Administration to put against a current threat, proven technologies much sooner, so that we could protect NATO indivisibility and that we’re working cooperatively with our allies and other partners in a very transparent way to make sure that this defensive system, which is flexible, but also adaptive to the threat is delivered very soon to protect us against what is considered to be a looming threat. NARRATOR As it takes on the challenges that lie ahead, the Missile Defense Agency will prove its commitment to protect the United States homeland, U.S. forward deployed forces, and its allied and friendly nations from the evolving ballistic missile threat.