The U.S. Missile Defense Agency, whose budget is proposed by
the president, is planning to spend about $38 billion through 2020, the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report released
Thursday. The report also noted that MDA conducted a successful test for
an intercontinental ballistic missile in 2015, but did not complete all
of the testing it had planned for the year, increasing the risk of
delays in future testing.
According to the report, MDA carried out 11 of 20 flight
tests, including key flight tests to deliver its European Phased
Adaptive Approach Phase 2 that provides defense of the country’s allies
and forces in Europe. However, between 2010 and 2015, the agency delayed
or removed about 40 percent of its planned flight tests, GAO said in the report.
MDA successfully conducted an intercept flight test before
resuming production of the GMD CE-II interceptors. However, the report
said the agency continues to use acquisition practices that risk cost
growth and performance of the Ballistic Missile Defense System [BMDS].
“GAO previously recommended in March 2011 that MDA report
costs associated with tests, and any changes to tests, in the BMDS
Accountability Report or budget documentation submitted to Congress. MDA
concurred and has partially implemented this recommendation. MDA
officials explained that they do not track the actual costs of flight
tests; thus, it would be a significant undertaking to compile this
information,” the accountability office said.
“Since 2002, MDA has received approximately $123 billion to develop
and deploy the BMDS, which is a highly complex group of systems,” the
GAO report said.
Furthermore, it said that MDA plans to spend around $38
billion, approved by President Barack Obama, “to continue its efforts to
develop, integrate, and field BMDS elements and targets necessary for
testing.”
In a February report, GAO had said
the agency’s efforts to bolster its missile defense system were using
risky acquisition practices. GAO said, for instance, that MDA
demonstrated “some” capability to defend against ballistic missile
threats, “but several other key aspects necessary to prove it can defend
the U.S. homeland against the current ballistic missile threat have not
been demonstrated.”
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