20 June 1997

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[Congressional Record: June 28, 1996 (Senate)]
[Page S7269-S7277]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr28jn96-23]



 
        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1997

*****

                           Amendment No. 4425

  (Purpose: To provide funds for research and development regarding a 
   surgical strike vehicle for defeating hardened and deeply buried 
                                targets)

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf 
of Senator Kyl and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Arizona [Mr. McCain], for Mr. Kyl, 
     proposes an amendment numbered 4425.

  The amendment is as follows:

       At the end of subtitle B of title II, add the following:

     SEC. 223. SURGICAL STRIKE VEHICLE FOR USE AGAINST HARDENED 
                   AND DEEPLY BURIED TARGETS.

       Of the amount authorized to be appropriated by section 
     201(4) for counterproliferation support program, $3,000,000 
     shall be made available to the Air Combat Command for 
     research and development into the near-term development of a 
     capability to defeat hardened and deeply mined targets; 
     including tunnels and deeply buried facilities for the 
     production and storage of chemical, biological, and nuclear 
     weapons and their delivery systems.
       (1) nothing in this section shall be construed as 
     precluding the application of the requirements of the 
     Competition in Contracting Act.

  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, it is my pleasure to offer an amendment to 
make $3 million available from the $168.7 million in the 
Counterproliferation Support Program for the Surgical Strike Vehicle 
[SSV], which, when deployed, will hold at risk hardened or deeply 
buried targets of our enemies. As recent press reports indicate, the 
proliferation of hardened and deeply buried targets for storage and 
production of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons and their 
delivery systems is a serious threat to U.S. national security and that 
of our allies. The lack of a weapon that can hold these targets at risk 
has not gone unnoticed by rogue nations interested in proceeding with 
their weapons of mass destruction programs in relative immunity from 
likely--that is, nonnuclear--U.S. military responses.
  Few nonnuclear weapon concepts offer near-term capabilities against 
these underground facilities, however one Air Force concept, the 
Surgical Strike Vehicle, offers an interim solution with unprecedented 
deep penetration capability at significant standoff range.
  SSV integrates existing technologies and subsystems to produce a 
near-term solution against hardened and deeply buried targets. SSV is a 
B-52H launched, rocket propelled missile systems utilizing global 
positioning system-based guidance for prompt, precise, and 
hypervelocity impact of hardened and buried targets.
  SSV builds on the very successful USAF/Phillips Laboratory Missile 
Technology Demonstration-1 mission, which demonstrated the tightly 
coupled GPS navigation accuracy and successful penetration of weather 
granite at the White Sands missile range, New Mexico. In this August 
1995 test, a simulated subscale Earth penetrating warhead was precisely 
delivered on target at extremely high velocity, resulting in a 
successful penetration of 31 feet of granite. Much higher penetration 
depths are possible with full-scale penetrators and higher impact 
velocities, which the current system is capable of delivering.
  SSV is particularly suited to the high-value hardened and deeply 
buried target problem because it offers the following attributes: 
global coverage from CONUS, promptness--10 minutes from missile launch 
to impact--significant standoff range--launch over international waters 
against likely targets--Precision Lethality, >1,800 pounds of 
penetrating warheads at optimal peneteration velocity delivers a 
conventional high explosive, incendiary, or other warhead into any 
known cut-and-cover target and many tunnel targets; low probability of 
detection prior to impact for likely adversaries; immunity to air 
defenses or active countermeasures, jamming; and relative 
affordability.
  I am pleased to support the SSV program and hope the Senate will 
agree that this program is meritorious.
  Mr. NUNN. Mr. President, I urge approval of the amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the amendment is agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 4425) was agreed to.