National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010

H.R.2647
Introduced: 
June 2, 2009
111
First
October 28, 2009
Became Public Law

1 cosponsor.

This annual bill provides the legal authority, or ‘authorization,’ to the Dept. of Defense to carry out its activities. The bill authorizes a total of $144.634 m. for the Israeli ballistic missile defense systems being jointly developed by the U.S. and Israel, though this amount is nonbinding. The total includes a $25 m. increase over the president’s funding request to support the development of the ‘David’s Sling’ short-range ballistic missile defense program.

The report of the House Committee on Armed Services (report number 111-166) accompanying the bill expresses the Committee’s support for development of the Arrow-3, a new component of Israel’s ballistic missile defense systems. The report also expresses the committee’s concern that development of the system is technologically risky and directs the secy. of defense to submit a report by 15 April 2010 describing the progress made on developing the Arrow-3, whether the program is proceeding on schedule, and the alternative missile systems the Defense Dept. is considering to provide Israel should the Arrow-3 prove unworkable. To that end, the committee approved the U.S. Missile Defense Agency request for $50 m. to pursue the development of a land-based version of the existing ship-launched Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) ballistic missile defense system in use by the U.S. Navy. The SM-3 is being developed specifically both for the U.S. military and as a back-up system for Israel should development of the Arrow-3 fail.

Further, the bill expresses the sense of Congress that ‘Israel is one of the strongest allies of the United States’ and faces common enemies and that the United States ‘remains vigorously committed to supporting Israel’s welfare, security, and survival as a democratic state and should ‘continue to provide critical assistance needed to address existential threats.’ It also requires the secy. of defense to submit an annual report to Congress assessing Iran’s military strategy toward Israel, the effectiveness of its military forces facing Israel, and its support of Hamas and Hizballah.

See also: companion measures S. 1390 and S. 1391 of 7/2/09; and related measures H.R. 2410 of 5/14/09, H.R. 2475 of 5/19/09, H.R. 2845 of 6/12/09, H.R. 3326 of 7/24/10, and H.R. 3832 of 10/15/09.

Became public law 111-84 (10/22/09 conference report passed in Senate 68-29; 10/8/09 conference report passed in House 281-146).

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