Army Expects to Be Lead Service in National Missile Defense
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ARLINGTON, Va. --- The Army expects to be the lead service for National Missile Defense, the service's top space and missile officer told a breakfast meeting of 150 national security leaders here Aug. 5.
Lt. Gen. John Costello, commanding general of the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command, said he expected the decision to be announced following a Joint Requirements Oversight Council meeting Aug 30.
"There have been years of controversy over this, but I think on Aug. 30 the Army will be designated the leader service for national missile defense. Obviously, it is very complicated system and it's a very joint system, so it's going to be different from normal. ...It will be a National Guard organization.''
Adding "we made a decision years ago that Army National Guard personnel would man and operate these systems.'' Where the soldiers will be placed and where they come from are questions now being worked on, he said. "This is high-tech work, and it's going to take more of the Army's energy as we go down the road in the next few months.''
The vice chiefs of staff from all the services make up the requirements council. Costello added he expected the Army's Training and Doctrine Command to formally approve the new organization shortly after the announcement is made.
Speaking at the August Institute of Land Warfare Breakfast, he said this month's release of a National Intelligence Estimate of threats from ballistic and cruise missiles "will shape the debate over national missile defense for the next year.'' In June, the defense department will review progress made on missile defense "and say we're going to do this or not. We're going to select the site and start the construction'' in either North Dakota or Alaska. "My immediate challenge is to make sure the Army is postured when the president makes the decision and he says 'go' that we're not still putting our shoes on.'' Included are flight tests for some of the vehicles to be used in a national system.
Costello added, "I'm staying out of controversy over the ABM Treaty.'' The antiballistic missile treaty singed by the former Soviet Union and the United States in the 1970s put strict limits of missile defense.
The treaty was signed when few nations possessed missile technology.
The Defense Department estimates that 25 nations possess missiles and some of those nations are capable of building nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. North Korea, one of those nations, is noticeably pressing ahead with its program to increase the range of its ballistic missiles, so they threaten not only the Republic of Korea, but also Japan. Global Positioning System technology is also increasing missile accuracy.
Costello said, "I am anxiously waiting the next PAC III firing this month. Hopefully, it is as successful as the THAAD firing.'' The Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC III), as with the Theater High Altitude Air Defense missile (THAAD), is a hit-to-kill missile. After several failures, THAAD has successfully intercepted incoming missiles in its last two tests. "This is rocket science.''
Adding, "we just published the theater and air defense master plan, signed off two weeks ago,'' and is now completing the Army's space master plan, which has not been updated since 1984. The space master plan "will be a road map for the Army with where we want to go and what we want to do.''
Costello said the high-energy laser test facility at White Sands, N.M., "really forms the basis of the Army's directed energy weapons research. ...Many of us feel that directed energy is the way of the future for the Army and we need to get better in directed energy technology as much as some of the other services. We are on the verge of doing that.''
Citing a joint Israeli-U.S. tactical laser program, he said in the next 45 days the laser system will be in place in New Mexico and "we will shoot down the Katusha rocket.'' After testing, it will be deployed to northern Israel for the first fielding of a high-energy tactical laser. "That's on the road, and we're now looking at a program to examine other laser technologies. ...We're serious about this and we've got great congressional support.''
Costello said the Joint Land Attack Elevated Sensor system, an aerostat, is funded this year "after everybody got over the giggle factor of a balloon and they realized if you put a very sophisticated package of sensors on this balloon it can provide the ground commander with incredible information. And this balloon does not cost a lot to operate. All of a sudden, everybody says -- after they get over laughing -- this is really valuable.''
The aerostat is now participating in the Roving Sands Missile exercise at Fort Bliss, Texas, and White Sands. "Our challenge next year is to develop the sensor packages that will go in here. ...It can also carry communications packages.''
Discover II, a constellation of satellites for battlefield management, "is not supported very well in Congress.'' Asking, "can you imagine being a commander having a constellation of satellites to provide you 24-hour a day, all-weather coverage, down to a very, very precise map scale?'' He expects two of the satellites in the Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program to be launched in four years "and this will absolutely revolutionize the battlefield.'' The Army is developing the ground-based radar.
"The Army is a user on one end and a technical developer on another,'' he said explaining how his command works "with a whole host of agencies -- all the DoD agencies, all the Army agencies. ...I have a very close relationship with the state department. I am the biggest employer in the Republic of the Marshall Islands,'' the site of the Kwajelien Test Range. The command employs about 2,500 on the island.
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Army Expects to Be Lead Service in National Missile Defense
