Senate Panel Funds Multiple Defense Missile Systems

The Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC) provided billions of dollars in funding for myriad military missile programs in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007.

That funding was part of an overall $453.5 billion Department of Defense appropriations bill that includes a $50 billion down payment toward costs of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and other needs.

Army Programs

In Army programs, the SAC provided $489 million for the Patriot surface-to-air missile system, the entire amount that the Bush administration requested, enough for 108 of them. The missiles are produced by Raytheon Co. [RTN], while the control system is provided by Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT].

But the SAC cut the entire $12.039 million that the Army sought for the AMRAAM system, a surface-launched medium-range air defense asset produced by a team that Raytheon leads.

Turning to the Javelin anti-tank assault missile system, the SAC whacked about one-fifth of the $104.8 million that the Bush administration sought, chopping out $21 million. The Javelin is provided by Raytheon and Lockheed.

For the TOW 2 program, the SAC provided all of the requested $31.6 million to buy 949 missiles, plus another $32.7 million in advance procurement funding. The anti-tank weapon is produced by Raytheon.

In the multi-national Guided MLRS rocket program, the SAC gave the Army $137.4 million, a bit less than the $147.8 million that the Army requested. This involves a team led by Lockheed Martin.

There also is $20.9 million for reduced-range practice rockets.

Turning to the HIMARS launcher program, the SAC provided just $196.4 million, short of the $226.9 million the administration requested. Lockheed leads the program.

As well, SAC provided full funding for administration plans to modify missiles: $69.9 million for Patriot modifications, $10.4 million for Javelin mods, $84.4 million for ITAS/TOW mods, $6.9 million for MLRS mods, and $9.4 million for HIMARS mods.

Navy Programs

In Navy missiles, the SAC cut $38 million, as the House did, from the $957.6 million the administration requested for modifying Trident II missiles for conventional-strike capabilities.

But overall, Raytheon did well in many areas.

On the Tomahawk, both the SAC and House bills provide the $354.6 million that the administration sought.

In AMRAAMs that Raytheon builds for the Navy, the House supplied the $98.7 million that Bush requested, while the SAC provided only $68.7 million, a $30 million cut..

In Sidewinder missiles by Raytheon, the SAC and the House provided all of the $40.4 million that the administration sought.

For the Joint Standoff Weapon, or JSOW by Raytheon, the SAC provided the $125.6 million that the Pentagon asked, while the House cut it to $123.6 million.

For the Standard Missile program by Raytheon, the Navy will receive the entire $139.7 million that it sought, under both the SAC and House versions.

And on modifications to Standard Missiles, the Navy will do even better than it hoped. While the Navy sought $54.644 million for the mods, the House would provide $57.6 million, and the SAC version would provide $63.6 million.

RAM missiles also won full backing of the $56.9 million request.

Air Force Programs

In Air Force missile procurement, the SAC bill would provide a total $3.975 billion, some $228.7 million less than the $4.2 billion administration proposal, but more than the $3.747 billion in the House plan.

On the Air Force Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile, or JASSM, by Lockheed, the SAC cut $40 million from the fiscal 2007 funds request, providing $147.2 million instead of the $187.2 million the administration seeks and the House would provide. The administration proposes buying 234 missiles.

For the Air Force Sidewinder by Raytheon, both the SAC and House provide the requested $43.8 million for 195 missiles.

For the Air Force AMRAAM by Raytheon, while the House would give the Pentagon the $135.9 million it seeks, the SAC slashed that to just $65.9 million, a $70 million cut.

Turning to the Predator Hellfire missile, the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle can launch the Hellfire made by Lockheed, as can other aerial platforms. While the administration requested $65.3 million for 677 of the weapons, the SAC approved only $39.9 million. Even then, that was more than the House version of $32.7 million.

For Minuteman MM III modifications, the administration sought $691.7 million, while the SAC approved that much and more, providing $702.7 million. The House version of the appropriations bill, however, cuts the request to $625.3 million.

The SAC also approved the requested $31.1 million for Titan space boosters by Lockheed, as did the House version..

And the SAC backed the administration plan to spend $936.5 million on the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program (Boeing and Lockheed), but the House version would slash that to $692.3 million.

As well, the SAC and House version provide the requested $102 million for the medium launch vehicle by Boeing.