National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of my amendment for a budget neutral increase in funding for Army surface-to-air missile systems. The Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, or the MSE, is the next generation of the battle-proven PAC-3 interceptor for the Patriot air defense system. Along with its earlier generation PAC-3 interceptor, the Missile Segment Enhancement is the world's most capable air and missile defense missile.

PAC-3 missiles are high-velocity interceptors that destroy incoming targets with direct body-to-body impact. This hit-to-kill impact produces a tremendous amount of energy that defeats tactical ballistic missiles carrying weapons of mass destruction and/or submunition payloads, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft.

The MSE missile provides a 50 percent improvement in altitude and 100 percent improvement in range over earlier PAC-3 interceptors and is required to address advance air and missile defense threats.

MSE capability is in great demand across the deployed force. In fact, the MSE missiles have been on the Army's unfunded request top priorities list. Additional missiles have been on the Army UFR the past 2 years and have been funded by Congress.

This amendment would allow approximately 20 new missiles to be purchased in fiscal year 2017, which would put the total at 105 missiles, which is still below the fiscal year 2015 and fiscal year 2016 levels. If we add these additional 20 missiles, the unit cost of the missiles would go down as well because of the quantity of scale in the program.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers).

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I would also like to commend the Material Management and Minimization program for the work that they have done, but as was stated before, the House Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations said:

A significant portion of the highly enriched uranium minimization efforts going forward will involve multiyear research and development activities. To better align research and development-related activities with resident expertise for managing such activities within the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, the recommendation shifts funding responsibility for the development of fuel for high-performance research reactors and for demonstrating and commercially deploying domestic-based technologies for the production of the medical isotope Mo-99 to defense nuclear proliferation research and development.

Mr. Chairman, I believe this is the appropriate place to offset the funding for these additional missiles. These missiles are critical to our Nation's defense.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I would like to emphasize that, even with these additional 20 missiles, we will still be below the numbers for FY 2015 and FY 2016. This is an unfunded request and high priority for the Army, and I encourage a positive vote on this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source