Congressman Turner: We Must Ensure a Robust Ballistic Missile Defense Capability in Europe

Congressman Mike Turner released the following statement regarding the inclusion of $20 million in the recently passed FY 2015 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act for the acceleration of a Ballistic Missile Defense site in Poland.

Washington, DC: Congressman Mike Turner, Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces and President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly released the following statement regarding the inclusion of $20 million in the recently passed Fiscal Year 2015 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act for the acceleration of a Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) site in Poland.

Under the Administration's European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) the United States' is carrying out a multi-phase program to construct a missile defense capability in Eastern Europe designed to defend against ballistic missiles threats emanating from countries such as Iran.

Phase 2 of the program is scheduled to be completed next year and will consist of a BMD capability in Romania. Phase 3 will be in Poland and is scheduled for completion in the 2018 timeframe. Phase 4, which would have provided a defense for Europe and the United Stated against intercontinental ballistic missiles, was canceled by the Obama Administration after Russian protests of the concept.

"I commend the Appropriations Committees and Chairman Rogers for including $20 million to accelerate completion of the Aegis ashore site in Poland," said Turner. ?"Given Russia's increased aggression toward the West and Iran's stubbornness toward its nuclear program, we must ensure a robust BMD capability in Europe. Russia is clearly now a threat to the West."

"While the Obama Administration continues to flounder when it comes to missile defense, I commend Congress for its willingness to keep pace with the growing BMD threat posed by Russia, Iran, and others," said Turner. "Going forward, I will continue to support completion of Phase 3 in Poland and further development of the Standard Missile-3 Block IIA by 2018."

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