Baker Spring on MEADS Program
The Heritage Foundation‘s Baker Spring has written a web memo titled, “Sustain the Other European Missile Defense Program,” in which he discusses the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) development program.
President Obama appears reluctant to support agreements we made with Poland and the Czech Republic to build missile defense shields, and he’s proposed to cut $1.4 billion from the missile defense program. But what about our joint missile program with Germany and Italy? An excerpt:
“The Germans are covering 25 percent of the cost of the program, while the Italians are covering 16.7 percent. The U.S. is responsible for the remaining 58.3 percent. This cost-sharing arrangement is based on a $3.4 billion contract that was signed by the three countries in 2004.
“The Obama Administration requested a little more than $569 million in research, development, test, and evaluation funding for the program for fiscal year 2010.Generally speaking, Congress is on track to support the Administration’s request. The question is whether the Obama Administration and Congress will support the program in the years after fiscal year 2010. Therefore, Congress should express its desire to see this program continue in fiscal year 2011 and beyond.”
Spring adds that the MEADS program should stay on track. Not only will it reinforce our commitments with Europe, it will ensure mobility of missile defense power for ground forces, 360-degree protection against missile and air threats, and more.
Read the full article here.
(Image source: Army Technology)
Tags: Baker Spring, Germany, Italy, MEADS, Medium Extended Air Defense System