A-2-562   Moose Creek Nike Site

The mission of the Missile Defense Agency continues to be one of developing and fielding an

integrated, layered Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) to defend the United States, our deployed

forces, allies, and friends against all ranges of enemy ballistic missiles in all phases of flight.

TODAY WE DO NOT HAVE THE DEFENSIVE FORCES TO

MATCH THE OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER ARRAYED AGAINST

IN-THEATER POPULATIONS, FORCES, AND MILITARY ASSETS

The inventories of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles deployed in countries other than the

United States, NATO, Russia, or China constitute 99 percent of the threat and far outnumber the

defensive interceptors we have in the field. Today we have hundreds of defensive short-range

interceptors to counter thousands of short-range missiles. Given the growth in foreign ballistic missile

arsenals, we do not have the defensive forces today to match the offensive firepower arrayed

against in-theater populations, forces, and military assets.

This $7.8 billion budget we are proposing for missile defense in FY 2010 will allow us to provide a

balance of capabilities and risks to deter aggression, project power and protect U.S. and allied

interests, respond to war fighter requirements, and pursue cost-effective and operationally effective

capabilities to hedge against future threat uncertainties. Specifically, we will:

• Focus the program on the "rogue state and theater missile threat"

• Continue to develop a Ground-based Midcourse Defense capability to defeat rogue state

threats

• Enhance rigorous testing and simulation of the Ballistic Missile Defense System

• Balance midcourse research and development with early intercept research and