Defense Policy Board to hold classified missile defense meeting

The Defense Policy Board will hold a two-day, classified meeting at the Pentagon next week to talk about the "Space and Ballistic Missile Defense Review," according to a Federal Register notice issued this morning.

The meeting will take place May 24 and 25, the notice states, with topics and speakers including:

* Space Intelligence Brief, Larry Gresham;

* Warfighting 2025, Andrew Cox;

* OSD Space Policy Perspectives, Honorable Kenneth Rapuano & Steven Kitay;

* Warfighter Perspectives, General John W. Raymond;

* Space Panel, General (Retired) Robert Kehler, Douglas Lovero and Marc Berkowitz; [and]

* Ballistic Missile Defense Review, Honorable John Rood.

Senior Pentagon officials had told lawmakers in recent months that the Defense Department expected to wrap up its assessment of U.S. missile defenses this spring as they ironed out internal disagreements regarding several elements of the review.

"Right now we still have some internal discussions in the department to work through -- different opinions, as you'd expect, on certain questions," Under Secretary of Defense for Policy John Rood told the Senate Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee March 22.