In May, Congress continued to pressure the Clinton administration to more ardently embrace a national missile defense system. Although China does not pose a threat like that of the former Soviet Union, the Cox Commission provides an essential warning of China's potential future hostile intent toward the United States and its friends in Asia. Helms views the ABM Treaty as an impediment to fielding an effective national missile defense system and wants to scrap the entire treaty. The increase marked a turning point for the administration, which had in the past focused primarily on developing theater missile defenses. Such systems are designed to protect troops against shorter-range missiles, such as the Iraqi Scuds used against U.S. forces during the Persian Gulf War.
Congressional proponents remain undeterred by the spotty test results.
Officials at the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization had planned to fully fund both programs only through 2001, when it would have selected one system to field while the second would have been kept alive at much lower funding levels. Tactical Missiles Air Force officials made headlines earlier this year when, following major U.S. air attacks against Iraq and Yugoslavia, they confirmed that the U.S. stockpile of conventional cruise missiles was running dangerously low. Though munitions stocks normally are classified, officials felt they had to raise the alarm to ensure emergency supplemental funding for converting more nuclear-tipped cruise missiles to conventional configurations. The range of the converted missiles will be improved from roughly 600 miles to more than 1,000 miles, however, with the addition of a new avionics package and a lighter, more efficient engine. The service has launched an effort to accelerate production of JDAM by more than 10 times the current production of roughly 100 per month.