WASHINGTON, DC - Led by Ranking Member Jim Cooper (D-TN) and Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), the Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces today released its proposals for the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Subcommittee will meet at 3:00 PM on Thursday, April 26th, in Rayburn 2118. The markup will be live streamed on the committee’s website. The Subcommittee’s mark is available here.
 
Nuclear 

  • Requires the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment to make a decision on sustaining one or more large solid rocket motor manufacturers in the defense industrial base prior to awarding the next contract in the GBSD program;
  • Recommends that the Full Committee authorize funding for a safe, secure and reliable nuclear arsenal, recommending that the Full Committee add funding above the budget request level for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) nuclear weapons activities and defense nuclear nonproliferation program, including efforts to modernize the nuclear weapons stockpile and address NNSA’s aging facilities and infrastructure;
  • Provides for the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to sit on the Nuclear Weapons Council, which coordinates nuclear weapons programs and policy between the Department of Defense and the National Nuclear Security Administration. 

 Conventional Prompt Strike

  • Recommends the Full Committee authorize funding above the President’s Budget Request to accelerate development and testing for a conventional prompt strike operational capability, and requires a report addressing ambiguity concerns. 

Missile Defense

  • Recommends the Full Committee authorize funding above the President’s Budget Request to continue development of critical directed energy, space sensing, and hypersonic defense capabilities by the Missile Defense Agency to address the increasing threat, in both capacity and complexity;
  • Continues the committee’s commitment to ensure quality of life is prioritized for the Sailors and personnel that will be operating the Aegis Ashore site in Poland with appropriate housing accommodations;
  • Requires the Director of the Missile Defense Agency establish a boost phase intercept program using kinetic interceptors, and initiate development of a missile defense tracking and discrimination space sensor layer;
  • Requires the Director of the Missile Defense Agency to continue development for the Homeland defense radar in Hawaii to deliver an operational capability in fiscal year 2023;
  • Recommends the Full Committee authorize the President’s Budget request of $500 million for Israeli Missile Defense co-development and co-production of the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow weapon systems.

 National Security Space

  • Establishes U.S. Space Command as a new sub-unified command within U.S. Strategic Command, to ensure joint space warfighting receives the resources and emphasis that it needs;
  • Major Commands in the Air Force are organized into numbered Air Forces (NAF). To ensure prioritization of space within the Service, the proposal directs the Secretary of the Air Force to establish a new numbered Air Force dedicated to space warfighting and reorganize the current 14th Air Force to a space support mission;  
  • Directs the Deputy Secretary of Defense to develop a plan to establish a separate alternative acquisition system for defense space acquisition to include the space vehicle, ground segment, and terminals;
  • Requires evaluation and enhanced security of the supply chain for protected satellite communications program and overhead persistent infrared systems;
  • Requires the Department of Defense to consider the risks, benefits, and cost savings with respect to using small- and medium- size buses for strategic and tactical satellite payloads;
  • Directs the Department of Defense to provide the Committee a briefing on the its efforts to use commercial items for a follow-on wideband communications system;
  • Continues our commitment to support innovation in national security space launch while recognizing the need to maintain risk at acceptable levels to ensure mission success.

###