Space

The budget request contained $108.2 million for the defense counterproliferation support program.

The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 217) that would authorize $144.5 million for the program, a $36.3 million increase to the budget request. Of the funds authorized in this section, $6.3 million would be available to the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) for purposes of broadening SOCOM's counterproliferation activities and $30.0 million would be available for the continuation of the Army tactical antisatellite technologies (ASAT ) program (PE 63392A) for a user operation evaluation system (UOES) contingency capability. The provision would authorize the Department of Defense to transfer up to $50.0 million from fiscal year 1996 defense research and development accounts for counterproliferation support activities.

The House bill would authorize the budget request for the counterproliferation support program and include $11.0 million for the development of improved nuclear detection and forensics analysis by the Advanced Projects Research Agency (ARPA).

The conferees agree to a provision that would authorize $138.2 million for the counterproliferation support program, of which $30.0 million shall be available for the continuation of the Army tactical antisatellite technologies program. Of the funds authorized in fiscal year 1996, the conferees recommend that $1.5 million be available for the exploration of the `deep digger' concept for hard target characterization, and that $5.0 million be available for the high frequency active auroral research program (HAARP).

The conferees acknowledge concerns raised in the Senate report (S. Rept. 104-112) regarding the need for the Department to continue the aggressive pursuit of discriminate detection and attack capabilities of deep underground structures. The Department should continue to develop the capability to detect and defend against biological agents through the use of technologies, available through universities and non-profit industries, that have been developed for biological detection, emergency preparedness and response. The Department should also continue to develop a capability to counter technological gains by proliferant countries that could gain access to a broad mix of commercial-off-the-shelf space technologies which could provide these countries with significant space capabilities or access to space-derived data and could negatively impact a spectrum of multi-service and joint warfighting capabilities.

TACTICAL ANTISATELLITE TECHNOLOGY

The conferees direct the Secretary of Defense to include sufficient resources in fiscal year 1997, and throughout the future year defense plan (FYDP), for the following: a user operation evaluation system (UOES) contingency capability to produce 10 kill vehicles with the appropriate boosters by fiscal year 1999; a review to determine the appropriate management structure and military service responsibility; report on the current status of antisatellite development worldwide and the degree to which United States antisatellite development efforts may contribute to similar development among other nations and their impact on U.S. operational capabilities; and to report the Department's recommendations to Congress in the fiscal year 1997 budget request. To avoid significant or lengthy delays in developing a needed capability, the conferees direct the Department to leverage, or build upon the current Army tactical antisatellite technology program. The conferees note that authorization of funds for continued development of the tactical antisatellite system does not constitute a decision to deploy the system.