Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Bloomberg.com
April 3, 2008 By Tony Capaccio, Bloomberg News
The U.S. Navy won't be able to test its defenses against China's most advanced cruise missile until at least 2014, or seven years after the weapon was deployed.
Because the Navy has no test target that replicates the flight profile of the world's most advanced anti-ship missile, it must continue to assess the weapon's capability through modeling and simulation.
The Navy hasn't picked a contractor to develop the test target, and China already has deployed the missile -- known in the West as “the Sizzler” -- on at least eight Kilo-class diesel submarines that it bought from Russia, the Pentagon said in its report on the Chinese military released March 3.
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England ordered the service to come up with a test plan last year. The plan's timetable estimates the missile would be fielded by 2014, Naval Air Systems Command spokesman Chuck Wagner said in an e-mail statement.
That is too long a wait, according to the two top lawmakers on the Congressional China Caucus.
“2014 is not fast enough,” said Representative Randy Forbes, a Virginia Republican who co-chairs the caucus and is also the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee's panel on military readiness.
“We are going to do everything in our capability to get that timetable up -- whether we ratchet up six months or three years,” he said. “I think it's a huge vulnerability for us.”
Representative Madeleine Bordallo of Guam, who co-chairs the caucus, said she shares Forbes's concerns. “Our armed forces need to be ready to respond to threats across the globe and we must ensure that we are developing the appropriate capabilities,” Bordallo said in an e-mailed statement.
Dangerous Profile
Most anti-ship cruise missiles fly below the speed of sound and on a straight path, making them easier to track and target.
The Sizzler starts at subsonic speeds. Within 10 nautical miles of its target, a rocket-propelled warhead separates and accelerates to three times the speed of sound, flying no more than 10 meters (33 feet) above sea level.
On final approach, the missile “has the potential to perform very high defensive maneuvers,” including sharp-angled dodges, the Office of Naval Intelligence said in a manual on worldwide maritime threats.
Congress in this year's defense authorization law said it was “concerned” about the Navy's “limited efforts” to fund development of targets for the missile.
Contract in October
Wagner said industry proposals for building the target missile were received in February and a contract valued at about $107 million will be awarded by Oct. 1 for a 54-month development phase and first fielding by 2014.
“The actual timeline will depend on the development schedule proposed by industry in the contract,” he said.
Forbes said the Navy's schedule doesn't meet the law's intent, and the Pentagon's China report underscores the urgency of fielding a test target as soon as possible.
“I am very, very concerned about finding out what kind of vulnerability we have and whether we are going to be able to stop it,” Forbes said. “We don't know whether or not we are going to be able to defend against” the Sizzler. “That's too great a risk.”
Admiral Timothy Keating, who heads the U.S. Pacific Command, told the House Armed Services Committee last month that “we are currently not as capable of defending against that missile as I would like.”
Shipbuilding Concerns
Charles McQueary, the Pentagon's independent head of weapons testing, said that, if a testing target isn't available until 2014, that “does increase concern” that ships and their on- board defenses would be built without knowing if they are properly equipped to protect against this missile.
McQueary said he will press to stall production of these ships until it is clear they can defend themselves. The ships are the new DDG-1000 destroyer, Gerald Ford-class CVN-21 aircraft carrier, the LHA-6 amphibious warfare vessel, Standard Missile 6 and upgraded Rolling Airframe Missile self-defense system, he said in an e-mailed statement.
McQueary's predecessor, Thomas Christie, said that, while he was “gratified” the Navy has started a program, he remains skeptical of the Navy's commitment.
“Unfortunately, this is another case where I say `I've been there and heard these promises before,”' Christie said. “I recall similar promises made during my 2001-2005 tenure” as test director. “If the Navy had followed through with those commitments, we would have already fielded these targets before now.”
April 3, 2008 By Tony Capaccio, Bloomberg News
The U.S. Navy won't be able to test its defenses against China's most advanced cruise missile until at least 2014, or seven years after the weapon was deployed.
Because the Navy has no test target that replicates the flight profile of the world's most advanced anti-ship missile, it must continue to assess the weapon's capability through modeling and simulation.
The Navy hasn't picked a contractor to develop the test target, and China already has deployed the missile -- known in the West as “the Sizzler” -- on at least eight Kilo-class diesel submarines that it bought from Russia, the Pentagon said in its report on the Chinese military released March 3.
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England ordered the service to come up with a test plan last year. The plan's timetable estimates the missile would be fielded by 2014, Naval Air Systems Command spokesman Chuck Wagner said in an e-mail statement.
That is too long a wait, according to the two top lawmakers on the Congressional China Caucus.
“2014 is not fast enough,” said Representative Randy Forbes, a Virginia Republican who co-chairs the caucus and is also the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee's panel on military readiness.
“We are going to do everything in our capability to get that timetable up -- whether we ratchet up six months or three years,” he said. “I think it's a huge vulnerability for us.”
Representative Madeleine Bordallo of Guam, who co-chairs the caucus, said she shares Forbes's concerns. “Our armed forces need to be ready to respond to threats across the globe and we must ensure that we are developing the appropriate capabilities,” Bordallo said in an e-mailed statement.
Dangerous Profile
Most anti-ship cruise missiles fly below the speed of sound and on a straight path, making them easier to track and target.
The Sizzler starts at subsonic speeds. Within 10 nautical miles of its target, a rocket-propelled warhead separates and accelerates to three times the speed of sound, flying no more than 10 meters (33 feet) above sea level.
On final approach, the missile “has the potential to perform very high defensive maneuvers,” including sharp-angled dodges, the Office of Naval Intelligence said in a manual on worldwide maritime threats.
Congress in this year's defense authorization law said it was “concerned” about the Navy's “limited efforts” to fund development of targets for the missile.
Contract in October
Wagner said industry proposals for building the target missile were received in February and a contract valued at about $107 million will be awarded by Oct. 1 for a 54-month development phase and first fielding by 2014.
“The actual timeline will depend on the development schedule proposed by industry in the contract,” he said.
Forbes said the Navy's schedule doesn't meet the law's intent, and the Pentagon's China report underscores the urgency of fielding a test target as soon as possible.
“I am very, very concerned about finding out what kind of vulnerability we have and whether we are going to be able to stop it,” Forbes said. “We don't know whether or not we are going to be able to defend against” the Sizzler. “That's too great a risk.”
Admiral Timothy Keating, who heads the U.S. Pacific Command, told the House Armed Services Committee last month that “we are currently not as capable of defending against that missile as I would like.”
Shipbuilding Concerns
Charles McQueary, the Pentagon's independent head of weapons testing, said that, if a testing target isn't available until 2014, that “does increase concern” that ships and their on- board defenses would be built without knowing if they are properly equipped to protect against this missile.
McQueary said he will press to stall production of these ships until it is clear they can defend themselves. The ships are the new DDG-1000 destroyer, Gerald Ford-class CVN-21 aircraft carrier, the LHA-6 amphibious warfare vessel, Standard Missile 6 and upgraded Rolling Airframe Missile self-defense system, he said in an e-mailed statement.
McQueary's predecessor, Thomas Christie, said that, while he was “gratified” the Navy has started a program, he remains skeptical of the Navy's commitment.
“Unfortunately, this is another case where I say `I've been there and heard these promises before,”' Christie said. “I recall similar promises made during my 2001-2005 tenure” as test director. “If the Navy had followed through with those commitments, we would have already fielded these targets before now.”