FISCHER OPENING STATEMENT AT STRATEGIC FORCES HEARING ON MISSILE DEFENSE
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), who today served as Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee's Strategic Forces Subcommittee, made the following statement at the opening of the subcommittee's hearing on missile defense policy:
"I would like to welcome the witnesses, and especially Admiral James Syring, who is appearing before this subcommittee for the first time since his appointment as Director of the Missile Defense Agency last November.
"On March 15th, Secretary Hagel announced the deployment of an additional 14 ground-based interceptors at Fort Greely, Alaska 'to stay ahead of the long-range ballistic missile threat posed by North Korea and Iran.' This is a prudent step and will provide the president additional flexibility to deal with threats to the United States and its vital interests. As NORTHCOM commander, General Jacoby, told Congress, 'we must not allow regional actors, such as North Korea, to hold U.S. policy hostage by making our citizens vulnerable to a nuclear ICBM attack.'
"In fact, Secretary Hagel’s announcement is only the latest in a series of actions taken by nations across the globe to counter missile defense threats to their territory and populations: Israel deployed the Iron Dome to counter rockets launched from Gaza; Turkish leaders requested Patriot batteries to protect against Syrian missiles; and we, along with our Japanese and South Korean allies, recently activated ground and sea-based missile defense systems in response to North Korea. These actions illustrate the important and stabilizing role played by missile defense.
"I am, however, concerned by the termination of the SM-3 block IIB missile, which was announced alongside the decision to purchase the 14 additional ground-based interceptors. The SM-3 block IIB was intended to be deployed in Poland for the protection of the United States from Iranian attack. Our current defensive systems, as General Kehler, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, testified to the committee earlier this year, 'are not in the most optimum posture to do that.' The Missile Defense Agency is evaluating three locations in the continental United States for a future missile defense site to address this need, and is also required by the FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act to develop a contingency plan for such an additional deployment.
"General Jacoby recently testified before the House Armed Services Committee that 'a third site, wherever the decision is to build a third site, would give me better weapons access, increased GBI inventory and allow us the battle space to more optimize our defense against future threats from Iran and North Korea.' I look forward to hearing Admiral Syring’s views on the value of an additional homeland missile defense site, as well as his assessment of its technical feasibility and cost.
"To conclude, I would note that while Secretary Hagel’s announcement was positive, that good news was mitigated by the president’s plan to spend $1.7 billion less on missile defense over the next five years. This reduction in funding, which comes on top of previous cut-backs, will make it increasingly difficult for Admiral Syring to carry out the president’s new direction while also maintaining on-going programs to develop and deploy missile defenses for our deployed forces and allies.
"I look forward to hearing our witnesses. Thank you, Mr. Chairman."
"I would like to welcome the witnesses, and especially Admiral James Syring, who is appearing before this subcommittee for the first time since his appointment as Director of the Missile Defense Agency last November.
"On March 15th, Secretary Hagel announced the deployment of an additional 14 ground-based interceptors at Fort Greely, Alaska 'to stay ahead of the long-range ballistic missile threat posed by North Korea and Iran.' This is a prudent step and will provide the president additional flexibility to deal with threats to the United States and its vital interests. As NORTHCOM commander, General Jacoby, told Congress, 'we must not allow regional actors, such as North Korea, to hold U.S. policy hostage by making our citizens vulnerable to a nuclear ICBM attack.'
"In fact, Secretary Hagel’s announcement is only the latest in a series of actions taken by nations across the globe to counter missile defense threats to their territory and populations: Israel deployed the Iron Dome to counter rockets launched from Gaza; Turkish leaders requested Patriot batteries to protect against Syrian missiles; and we, along with our Japanese and South Korean allies, recently activated ground and sea-based missile defense systems in response to North Korea. These actions illustrate the important and stabilizing role played by missile defense.
"I am, however, concerned by the termination of the SM-3 block IIB missile, which was announced alongside the decision to purchase the 14 additional ground-based interceptors. The SM-3 block IIB was intended to be deployed in Poland for the protection of the United States from Iranian attack. Our current defensive systems, as General Kehler, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, testified to the committee earlier this year, 'are not in the most optimum posture to do that.' The Missile Defense Agency is evaluating three locations in the continental United States for a future missile defense site to address this need, and is also required by the FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act to develop a contingency plan for such an additional deployment.
"General Jacoby recently testified before the House Armed Services Committee that 'a third site, wherever the decision is to build a third site, would give me better weapons access, increased GBI inventory and allow us the battle space to more optimize our defense against future threats from Iran and North Korea.' I look forward to hearing Admiral Syring’s views on the value of an additional homeland missile defense site, as well as his assessment of its technical feasibility and cost.
"To conclude, I would note that while Secretary Hagel’s announcement was positive, that good news was mitigated by the president’s plan to spend $1.7 billion less on missile defense over the next five years. This reduction in funding, which comes on top of previous cut-backs, will make it increasingly difficult for Admiral Syring to carry out the president’s new direction while also maintaining on-going programs to develop and deploy missile defenses for our deployed forces and allies.
"I look forward to hearing our witnesses. Thank you, Mr. Chairman."
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