WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has added an $85 million authorization for the Homeland Defense Radar-Hawai‘i during its markup of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.
This rejects the administration’s earlier decision to zero out funding in its budget request for the project.
The $1.9-billion HDR-H is being considered for the U.S. Army Garrison’s Kahuku Training Area on O‘ahu and the U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility near Kekaha. There is also a no-action alternative.
This project through the Missile Defense Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense is in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Federal Aviation Administration.
This funding will allow MDA to continue radar-production activities, environmental and siting efforts, and provide necessary program support to keep the program’s development as a key component of the nation’s ballistic-missile-defense system against evolving threats from North Korea and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region, according to a press release.
“The people of Hawai‘i deserve to be protected in an increasingly unpredictable region, and HDR-H remains a crucial part of our nation’s layered defense system,” said U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i).
”Leaders at INDOPACOM, MDA and U.S. Forces Korea have all named HDR-H a priority for Hawaii’s protection. Yet, when I repeatedly asked DOD to explain why HDR-H was zeroed out or what new system could achieve the same capability, it did not provide a satisfactory explanation,” she said.
“I will advocate for HDR-H’s inclusion in the final, Senate-approved NDAA because the entire United States should receive the same level of protection from credible missile detection technology,” said Hirono.
The committee-approved NDAA text also directs the MDA director, in consultation with the U.S. Indo-Pacific commander, to provide a briefing to the congressional defense committees on the current and future threats and the capability that HDR-H provides against future threats.
Hirono, chair of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, also announced more than $74 billion for critical Navy and Marine Corps programs. This includes over $2 billion in additional funds on top of the base budget for key programs identified by the chief of Naval Operations and the commandant of the Marine Corps on their unfunded priority lists, such as the restoration of a second Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer.
“This year’s NDAA represents our commitment to improving the Navy and Marine Corps’ ability to address the challenges of the new century,” Hirono said.
“This funding begins significant efforts to boost the readiness and capabilities of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, ships and weapons systems which are vital to our strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific,” the senator said.
The inclusion of the second destroyer will prevent destabilization of the shipbuilding industrial base while also shielding the Navy and taxpayers from $33 million in penalties that would have been levied as a result of breaking a multi-ship procurement contract.
Arleigh-Burke-class destroyers are the workhorse of the Navy, capable of performing anti-air, surface, sub-surface and land-attack missions, providing a strong deterrent against any threat. The newest destroyers are also outfitted with a robust ballistic-missile-defense capability to augment other U.S. missile-defense systems.
The bill also includes provisions to strengthen oversight of the Navy’s shipbuilding programs by establishing a deputy commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command for supervision of shipbuilding, conversion and repair to manage the execution of shipbuilding contracts.
Additionally, the bill requires the Navy to report on risk-reduction efforts to ensure that the new Constellation-class frigate program is a success, and urges the Navy to use best practices learned from its submarine-acquisition programs as it develops and acquires the next-generation destroyer.
The NDAA also fully supports the budget request for Marine Corps ground programs, authorizing funding for modernized military platforms like the amphibious combat vehicle and additional funding for anti-ship and long-range missiles which will help deter China in the Indo-Pacific region.
As a member of the Subcommittee on Readiness, Hirono successfully included an amendment urging the Navy to continue investment in the four public shipyards, including the one at Pearl Harbor, and keep the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan on schedule.
More funds for the defense system. I was wondering what would senator Hirono be doing considering more funds for the military and defense.
It could have been for other areas. Like roads. Or amusement parks. Anything.
What a shame that neither Senator Hirono nor Rep Kai Kahele are not considering anywhere but Kauai for the MDA. Kauai better wake up. This behemouth is slated for Kauai, not any other island or location. The 27 acres of our West Side needed for this, is nothing compared to the enormous area that will be subjected to the strongest radar we have or will ever have. Radar is not a benign thing just because it is invisible. It’s going to kill birds flying through it, it’s going to cause boat and helicopter tours to avoid it for their safety.
Locating the MDA on Kauai will give us a huge load of radar dwarfing what we are already subjected to from PMRF and it will be 24/7. Do Hirono or Kahele want this on their island of Oahu? No. It should not be on, or near, any populated island. If it’s slated for our state then put it on Kahoolawe. Even that’s too close. And no one wants to subject Kahoolawe to that but it’s OK to subject Kauai to it?
Last but not least, locating incoming hypersonic missiles by radar does not mean we have a guarantee of of an intercept. Especially if it’s launched with decoys or multiple warheads.
What is our best deterrent? The fact that any nuclear strike will be met with a retaliatory one. That’s what makes nuclear nations hold their fire. A monstrous radar not so much.
And, what they aren’t telling anyone, this radar won’t even work against hypersonic missiles. Just the ‘traditional’ ones that maaaay make it from Korea. This is purely to get a more accurate point by augmenting the two like radars already in operation in Alaska and Kwajalein, that do their job just fine. There is no technical justification for this that stands up to any scrutiny.
The MDA gave up on this as they already got our billions to make a modern constellation of low orbit satellites to do the job better. But Mazie is cutting deals with other member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/about/members) to bring home this pork, and purely for Oahu’s coffers. Read a good synopsis of why Oahu got up in arms and kicked it over to Kauai:
https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/06/homeland-defense-radar-will-not-protect-hawaii/
Kauai doesn’t want this, West Side doesn’t want this. No one who uses our West Side resources wants this.
They’ll institute closures of Rifle Range, Kinikini, and Polihale on an ‘as needed’ basis. And mark my words, it will be ‘as needed’ often.
We don’t have (or want) the required infrastructure to build or maintain such a facility, let alone house the migrant construction workers that will be required from out of state construction companies driving up already expensive single family housing prices and rents.
Take a look at MDA’s website and ask yourself if we can support such a monstrosity:
https://www.mda.mil/system/hdrh/
8 STORIES TALL!!! What happened to nothing taller than a coconut tree?
Its own power plant and associated fuel depot. Just what we need – more tractor trailers full of fuel zooming down our highway.
Don’t let our bot off congressional reps and a vocal minority of defense contractors that want more of this work on the base tell you that West Side wants this – we don’t. These people only have their own interests in mind. Always – follow the money.
We want LESS militarization of the West Side.
Take your toys and go home. Give us back OUR BEACH access.
Kauai -we need to say NO to this plan. Wonder who is working with Mazie Hirono to move this forward???…. need to follow the money.
This is going to take “Super Ferry Action”- Kauai SAY NO!!!!