Standard Missile-3 Block IIB Analysis of Alternatives.

摘要

This letter formally transmits the briefing GAO provided on January 29, 2013 to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. This is the first report GAO is issuing in response to a Congressional September 4, 2012, request that GAO examine several issues related to the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA), which is a policy announced by the President in September 2009 for missile defense of Europe and the United States that is planned to provide increased defense capability over time. This report covers one part of the request, how alternatives were evaluated for the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIB, a planned missile for that effort. The remaining topics Congress requested will be addressed in future GAO work. The SM-3 Block IIB's planned primary mission is to help defend the United States by providing an added layer of defense to that already provided by ground based interceptors in California and Alaska. It is planned to have significantly greater capabilities than prior versions of the SM-3, which defend against different threats. It is also expected to contribute to regional defense against medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The SM-3 Block IIB program began in June 2010. The SM-3 Block IIB is planned to be fielded by 2022 at the earliest as part of the fourth phase of U.S. missile defense in Europe.