Date: 1982-07-19
Speaker: ROBERT W. DANIEL (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I rise to lend my support to the committees actions on the fiscal year 1983 defense authorization bill. I would like to take the few minutes that have been yielded to me to talk about the administrations strategic force modernization program. In my view. this program is one of the most important aspects of this piece of legislation. I am sure that during the course of the debate on this bill and on its companion appropriations bill. there will be considerable discussion and debate on the MX missile program. the B1B bomber program. the Trident submarine and missile programs. the ballistic missile defense program and the Cruise missile program. While I think it is important that the merits of these individual programs be debated. I believe it is equally important that the programs be viewed as being elements of a comprehensive plan to modernize our strategic nuclear forces. In the way of a brief review. I would like to take a few minutes to summarize the basic elements of the administrations strategic modernization program. In announcing the program on October 2. 1981. President Reagan stated that its objective was to improve the capability of U.S. Strategic Forces so as to regain and then maintain a strategic balance with the Soviet Union. The Presidents proposed program is made up of five mutually reinforcing elements. each of which is to be made as survivable as possible. Three of the five elements of the program involve our strategic triad of nuclear forces. that Is. the air breathing legbombers and cruise missilesthe landbased legintercontinental ballistic missilesand the seabased legsubmarines and sealaunched ballistic missiles. Specifically. the President proposes that the airbreathing leg be modernized by going forward with the immediate production of the B1B bomber. continuing the development of an advanced technology bomber and the deployment of large numbers of longrange cruise missiles. The seabased leg is to be strengthened by the continued deployment of Trident submarines armed with Trident I missiles. Eventually. the Trident submarine will be equipped with a longer range. more accurate Trident II or D5 missile. The President proposes to upgrade the landbased leg of the triad composed of Minuteman II and Minuteman III ICBMs. by deploying 40 MX missiles in existing ICBM silos and aggressively continuing the research and development of other options for future basing of the MX missile. The fourth element of the strategic modernization program consists of proposed upgrades to the Strategic Command. control. communications and intelligence (CI) system. In proposing this element. the President indicated that it was of the highest priority and that It was Imperative that a network of survivable. enduring. and reconstitutable communications and warning systems be deployed at the earliest possible date. The fifth and final element of the program addresses the strategic defensive forces including ballistic missile defense and continental air defense. The administrations request includes several initiatves designed to improve our continental air defense system as well as to accelerate our ballistic missile defense efforts. While the committee did not totally agree with every detail of the proposed strategic modernization program. I believe the committee strongly endorses the comprehensive approach the administration has taken in recommending an integrated program for strengthening our strategic deterrent. In closing. I want to once again stress the importance of focusing on the overall program as the merits of the various elements contained In the program are debated and discussed. No single element stands alone. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Taken together. however. all five elements are mutually reinforcing. In my view. this program forms the basis of a very capable modern strategic deterrent that will serve our country well.