REVIEW OF REQUIREMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION AT VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE IN SUPPORT OF THE M-X MISSILE DEVELOPMENT MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1979 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND STOCKPILES OF THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON MILITARY CONSTRUCTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittees met jointly at 2:35 p.m., pursuant to notice in room 212, Russell Senate Office Building, Senator Gary Hart (chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Stockpiles of the Committee on Armed Services) presiding. Present: Senators Hart, Cannon, Byrd, and Warner, members of the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Stockpiles of the Committee on Armed Services; and Senator Huddleston, chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Construction of the Committee on Appropriations. Armed Services Committee staff members present: James C. Smith, professional staff member; Rhett B. Dawson, counsel; Edward B. Kenney, Ronald F. Lehman, E. George Riedel, professional staff members; and Jeanie Killgore, clerical assistant. Armed Services Committee members' assistants present: Frank Gaffney, assistant to Senator Jackson; Frank Krebs, assistant to Senator Cannon; and David Fitzgerald, assistant to Senator Humphrey. Appropriations Committee staff member present: Carolyn Fuller, professional staff member. STATEMENT BY SENATOR GARY HART, PRESIDING Senator HART. This hearing has been called in advance of the conference on the fiscal year 1980 military construction authorization bill to take testimony on a floor amendment that was accepted on the House bill involving $57 million in projects at Vandenberg Air Force Base to support the development of the M-X missile. This is the first construction money in support of the M-X missile and, since it was not included in the budget request, I felt that it was important to establish a record on the amendment accepted by the House before it is considered in conference. The M-X missile system, which President Carter has directed to proceed, will cost an estimated $33 billion. A great deal of that cost will be facility construction to support the approved basing mode. That is one of the areas we want to go into in this hearing. (1) This construction effort will be one of the most difficult construction programs ever undertaken, both in terms of sheer magnitude and the complexities associated with building unique facilities in the remote yet environmentally sensitive areas of our western States. Our hearing today is the first of many that will be necessary in future years to oversee this monumental undertaking. I am particularly pleased to have Senator Huddleston, from the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, participating with us in this joint hearing. More and more we are experiencing Government on the fast track, and I guess this is a classic example of collapsing the authorization and appropriation steps. It is a great pleasure for me to have Senator Huddleston with us. Senator, are there any remarks you care to make? STATEMENT BY SENATOR WALTER D. HUDDLESTON CONCERN FOR LAND BASED ICBMS Senator HUDDLESTON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am sure General Gilbert will welcome this opportunity to appear before two subcommittees at the same time if it in any way reduces the numbers of trips he has to make to Capitol Hill. We are interested in doing that. I agree with Senator Hart that this is the first of what will be a monumental construction program. It is important that we make an adequate record. It is fair to say, I think, that there is widespread concern in Congress about the increasing vulnerability of our landbased ICBM's. I believe there is a commitment to do something about that situation. BASING MODE FOR M-X I think it is also fair to say that there is some skepticism about the basing mode which has been chosen for the M-X. So I think, as we proceed along this path, it is important to consider all of the decisions that are being made and what the implications will be so far as our future military construction budget is concerned. So I welcome the opportunity to participate in this hearing. I thank you two gentlemen for joining us today. Senator HART. Thank you very much. Senator Warner? Senator WARNER. Thank you. I will pass at this time, Senator Hart. Senator HART. With that, we will go directly to an opening statement by Maj. Gen. William D. Gilbert, Director of Engineering and Services, U.S. Air Force; accompanied by Maj. Gen. Kelly H. Burke, Director of Operational Requirements. STATEMENTS OF MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM D. GILBERT, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AND SERVICES, AND MAJ. GEN. KELLY H. BURKE, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS, DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE, ACCOMPANIED BY LT. COL. THOMAS L. BOZARTH, DIRECTORATE OF ENGINEERING AND SERVICES; AND MAJ. MIKE HENSHAW, DIRECTORATE OF OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS General GILBERT. Mr. Chairman and members of the committees, it is a pleasure to appear before this joint session of your committees to discuss our urgent need for $57 million for facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., in support of the M-X missile system. As you are aware, last Wednesday, October 24, the House approved a $57 million amendment for M-X support facilities during floor action on the House mil-con authorization bill. The overwhelming support of our request by the House provided us the avenue to appear before your committees today to solicit your support and approval of our request so we can initiate the construction of test facilities necessary to carry out the President's September 7 decision to proceed with the M-X in a horizontal dash basing mode. In his announcement, the President stated that the development, testing, and deployment of the M-X was essential to the U.S. strategic deterrence because of the increasing vulnerability of our land-based fixed-silo ICBM's. He also stated that we would proceed with the M-X so as to reach initial operational capability by mid-1986 and initial testing of the M-X in January 1983. In order to minimize the risk in achieving these goals, it is essential that we begin constructing test facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., early in calendar year 1980. It is for this reason that we need a $57 million amendment to the fiscal year 1980 military construction authorization and appropriations bills. Authorization and funds must be made available in this calendar year in order to advertise and award construction contracts on four of the Vandenberg projects beginning in February 1980 and to allow for construction and equipment installation and checkout prior to the first scheduled launch in January 1983. A production decision is necessary in mid-1983 in order to allow for missile production and deployment area facility construction to meet the initial operational date. The two to three test flights that we need. to achieve prior to the production decision will provide the proper test. and evaluation foundation for making the production decision. Funding the projects in the fiscal year 1980 mil-con bill will allow a realistic schedule for constructing the facilities and installing equipment to support the scheduled January 1983 first launch. I have attached to this statement a brief description of the projects and their costs that make up our $57 million request. [The information follows:] FISCAL YEAR 1980 MILITARY CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM M-X SUPPORT FACILITIES, VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. Item Integrated test facilities...... Missile assembly building....... Mechanical maintenance facility....... Roads and utilities... Cost (thousands) Description $14,500 Provides launch, test and communications control centers and program administration space. The control centers will support any of the launch sites test labs or tests conducted in other facilities. These areas will provide flexibility and back-up capabilities to support program testing schedules. Administrative space is required for the 370 personnel required for testing. Provides capability for the assembly, checkout and transporter loading of the test flight missile. Facility includes high-bay area, electronic capsule/missile checkout area, and support areas for assembly operations. 24,000 5,500 Provides for canister post-flight refurbishment, transportation and handling equipment maintenance, and exterior pad for missile transporter buildup and maintenance. Facility includes high-bay area, vehicle maintenance, storage, outdoor wash and sandblasting area and a transporter erector launcher parking area. 13, 000 Provides site roads and utilities to support the test area. Adequate access and utilities are required to support the area set aside for M-X testing. General GILBERT. The actual design of facilities has progressed well along and is scheduled for completion in the December 1979 to February 1980 time frame. Therefore, we are confident of the project costs and our ability to obligate fiscal year 1980 funds. In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, we wish to assure you and the committees that these projects represent our best judgment and priority construction requirements in support of the M-X system. We see this to be a program vital to the security of the United States and feel that support of this effort by the committees and the full Senate is the best way to achieve the President's already stated objectives. We urgently request your support of the M-X projects in your upcoming conferences with the House Armed Services and Appropriations Committees. This concludes my statement, Mr. Chairman. I do have a briefing that we would be glad to give for the committees' review prior to the questions or, at the pleasure of the committees, go right into the questions. Senator HART. I will consult with my colleagues on this. My understanding is that the presentation in many respects repeats what is already in the public domain but may have some specifics that otherwise we have not received; is that correct? General GILBERT. I believe that is correct, sir. Senator HART. Why don't we proceed with the formal briefing. General GILBERT. I will introduce Lieutenant Colonel Bozarth, from my staff in the Pentagon, along with Major Henshaw, from the research and development staff. Senator HART. Before we go to the briefing, General Burke, do you have any statement to make at this point? General BURKE. No, sir, other than to endorse General Gilbert's comments. We are happy to be here and we appreciate your affording us this opportunity. Senator HART. Thank you very much. Colonel BOZARTH. The purpose of this briefing is to explain why we are asking for fiscal 1980 MCP funding for the four projects at Vandenberg. The four projects are critical to testing of the M-X missile. We |