S.Res. 82 — Introduced in Senate

III 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 82 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 20, 2013 Mr. Begich (for himself, Mr. Sessions, and Ms. Ayotte) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services RESOLUTION Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the proposal for the Strategic Defense Initiative. Whereas on March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan delivered a televised address to the Nation on the nuclear and ballistic missile threat to the United States and appealed to the people of the United States to support the development of new technologies to counter this threat; Whereas March 23, 2013, marks the 30th anniversary of this landmark address; Whereas President Reagan believed that United States security is based on being prepared and willing to meet all threats; Whereas President Reagan envisioned a defensive, non-nuclear capability to intercept and destroy strategic nuclear missiles before they reached the United States and our allies; Whereas President Reagan envisioned these defenses to significantly reduce any incentive an adversary may have to threaten or attack the United States and our allies; Whereas the proposal for these defenses, together with the defenses themselves, have come to be known as the Strategic Defense Initiative; Whereas President Reagan's vision has been inspired through the efforts of dedicated Americans and allies who have championed the pursuit of deterrence and protection to overcome immense technical hurdles in developing ballistic missile defense technologies and systems to protect the United States, our allies, and our vital interests overseas; Whereas on January 15, 1991, soldiers from the 11th Air Defense Artillery brigade changed modern warfare forever when they successfully intercepted an Al Hussein Missile launched from Iraq towards Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Whereas missile defense was used in combat and was successful during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom in defending the United States Armed Forces and the forces of our allies; Whereas the United States has achieved 58 successful missile defense intercept tests since 2001; Whereas the capability of United States missile defenses were first successfully put on alert in response to a July 2006 missile launch by North Korea, and later put on alert for all subsequent missile launches by North Korea (including its last launch in December 2013), and was successfully demonstrated on February 21, 2008, when a Standard Missile–3 interceptor launched from the U.S.S. Lake Erie intercepted and destroyed a disabled satellite of the National Reconnaissance Office; Whereas ballistic missile defense technology continues to be developed, tested, and operationally deployed by the United States, 21 allies and friends of the United States, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); Whereas the Missile Defense Agency and the United States Armed Forces stand ever vigilant to deter aggression and preserve the peace; Whereas the Missile Defense Agency epicenter for test, integration, and fielding United States rocket technology, located in Huntsville, Alabama, is responsible for guiding the programs essential to the overall success of the Missile Defense Agency mission; Whereas the United States Ballistic Missile Defense System is intended to lead any potential adversary to conclude that the risks of attacking the United States or our allies, or our troops in theater, far outweigh potential gains; Whereas the AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense System functions as a key, proven component of the integrated United States Ballistic Missile Defense System and as the foundation of sea-based ballistic missile defense for the United States, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Spain, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; Whereas the United States Army Air Defense Artillery Missile Defense Systems function as a key, proven component of the integrated United States Ballistic Missile Defense System and as the foundation of land-based ballistic missile defense for Bahrain, Germany, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; Whereas the AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense System and the United States Army Air Defense Artillery Missile Defense Systems effectively serve to deter aggression and devalue the missiles of those who would threaten the peace and security of the United States and our allies; Whereas the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System and its effective interceptor missiles currently deployed at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, together with the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, function as key components of the integrated United States Ballistic Missile Defense System; Whereas the Ballistic Missile Defense Review of 2010 concluded the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System is the only system currently capable of protecting the United States from an intercontinental ballistic missile; Whereas the dedicated members of the Alaska National Guard in the 49th Missile Battalion at Fort Greely, Alaska, stand ready on a daily basis to defend and protect the Nation; and Whereas the integrated ballistic missile defense system is a key element of the national defense of the United States and a vital capability to deter aggression and preserve freedom and peace: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate— (1) recognizes the vision and efforts of President Ronald Reagan to promote peace and security; (2) recognizes and expresses support for the refusal of the people of the United States to accept United States vulnerability to a ballistic missile attack on the homeland or overseas; and (3) commemorates the 30th anniversary of the address of President Reagan to the Nation on national security and the Strategic Defense Initiative.