Bipartisan bill to enhance the nation’s domestic missile defense systems submitted to Senate

A bipartisan bill that aims to strengthen the nation’s homeland missile defense reliability and capacity was recently introduced in the Senate.

The Advancing America’s Missile Defense Act was introduced by U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito
(R-WV).

The bill centers on a layered ballistic missile defense capability, which combines the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, Aegis Ashore, and Patriot Air and Missile Defense systems.

The bill also authorizes an additional 28 ground-based interceptors (GBIs), accelerates the development and deployment of advanced interceptor technologies, accelerates the development and deployment of a space-based sensor layer, and accelerates the completion of an environmental impact statement (EIS) for an interceptor site on the east coast and in the midwest.

The act additionally authorizes increased missile defense testing and expresses the need to change the current test culture at the Missile Defense Agency, while also mandating a report for up to 100 GBIs to be distributed throughout the country.

“The North Korean regime continues to be a clear and present danger to America and the world with its unwavering development of nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missiles,” Rubio said. “It is our duty to do everything we can to ensure we are prepared in the event of a nuclear threat. That is why I am proud to support the Advancing America’s Missile Defense Act of 2017, legislation that would advance our defense system to keep our homeland safe.”