Missile Missive

House and Senate Republicans are calling on the Pentagon to figure out as quickly as possible what went wrong with last Friday's failed intercept test of the current version of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system and conduct a new shoot-down attempt before the end of this calendar year.

In a letter sent today to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) and strategic forces subcommittee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) as well as Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and strategic forces subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R- AL) note that last week's attempt was "the third intercept test failure in a row -- and now involves both capability enhancement versions of the Exo-Atmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) -- since the system was last successfully tested in December 2008." Further:

While it may take some time to reach a final diagnosis of the cause of the July 5th test failure, it is already clear that President Obama's decision to drastically cut funding for the GMD program since he came to office and to 'curtail addition GMD development,' has drained funding available to conduct needed tests of this system. . . .

Regardless of the causes of the recent flight test failures, we encourage you to make the development and deployment of a new kill vehicle one of your highest priorities, especially in light of your recent announcement to deploy an additional 14 ground-based interceptors to Alaska to address the growing threat from North Korea. We must continue to advance the national missile defense capability, even as we ensure the existing capability meets the highest levels of reliability.

Additionally, we believe it is imperative that the Missile Defense Agency conduct, as soon as practicable, a new intercept test of the CE-1 Enhanced Kill Vehicle [Ground-Based Interceptor].  We believe such a test should occur in 2013 to ensure there is no question about the capability and credibility of the GMD system -- our only national missile defense capability. We are in agreement with LTC Richard Formica, the head of Army Space and Missile Defense Command and the Joint Functional Command for Integrated Missile Defense who recently stated that it is important to "re-test as soon as feasible."

Formica made that assertion in a statement provided to InsideDefense.com earlier this week, in which he also said he remains confident the 30 missile interceptors currently deployed could defend the nation against a limited ballistic missile attack from North Korean or Iran. As InsideDefense.com reported on July 9:

At a May 9 hearing, Formica was asked by Senate Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee Chairman Mark Udall (D-CO) if he had confidence in the GMD system's ability to protect the nation. Formica answered yes. "I'm confident in the systems that have been provided to us," he added.

Asked about that statement in light of Friday's test failure, Formica told InsideDefense.com: "I stand by my response in the testimony I presented on May 9."

Significantly, the test of the interceptor with a CE-I kill vehicle was the second of three planned risk-reduction flights for the GMD return-to-intercept program -- an effort that was due to culminate this fall with an intercept test of a GBI carrying a next-generation Capability Enhancement-II (CE-II) kill vehicle. DOD has previously called the pair of planned GBI intercept tests this year "key flight tests in support of the Homeland Hedge strategy."