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U.S. President Plans to Spend $20 Billion on a Missile Defense Program Over the Next 5 Years
By Jeremy Singer
Spacenews.com Staff Writer
posted: 02:27 pm ET
28 February 2001
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WASHINGTON U WASHINGTON -- U.S. President George W. Bush plans to spend $20 billion over the next five years on a research and development initiative to invent new weapon and intelligence systems and conduct tests for a missile defense program, according to a White House budget plan released today. The plan [ highlights], entitled "Blueprint for New Beginnings -- A Responsible Budget for Americas Priorities," proposes "a $2.6 billion initiative in research and development for missile defense alternatives and new technologies to support the transformation of U.S. military capabilities" in 2002, the first year of a proposed five-year, $20 billion effort. The money may be spent on "leap-ahead technologies for new weapons and intelligence systems; improvements to the laboratory and test range infrastructure; technologies aimed at reducing the costs of weapons and intelligence systemsand funding to continue research, development and testing of a missile defense system," according to the document. The plan also calls on the Pentagon and intelligence community to improve their efficiency by increasing reliance on commercial products and services. Further details on the Pentagon budget will not be released until completion of several reviews that the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is conducting that will include the creation of a new vision for the militarys role. "The president believes that the national defense strategy should drive decisions on defense resources, not the other way around," the document said. The budget details are not expected until late April or early May, according to Pentagon sources.
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