Key sites in America’s vast missile defense system network are plagued by seawater corrosion, inadequate running water in the bathrooms, poor heating and air conditioning, a lack of storage facilities and other problems, a government watchdog said, pointing to shortfalls in the system at a crucial moment for U.S. national security.
The new report from the Government Accountability Office paints a troubling picture of the country’s missile defense system, or MDS, an array of satellites, radars and other tools designed to identify, track and potentially destroy missiles fired at U.S. or allied targets. The health of the MDS is a top priority in Washington and deep inside the Pentagon, particularly as a rising China makes massive investments in its own military and appears intent on developing capabilities that could strike the U.S. or its partners.
The GAO report found significant potential gaps in that system, including big-picture problems with how the Defense Department monitors the MDS and its various components, and smaller-level maintenance and upkeep problems at sensitive sites.
Compounding the problem, the congressional watchdog agency said, was that it was unclear who was in charge of making things right.
Broadly speaking, the GAO said, the Pentagon “has not identified a specific entity assigned with responsibilities for overseeing the sustainment of MDS. No one entity has been assigned responsibility per [Defense Department] guidance for overseeing the sustainment of MDS elements, resulting in a lack of visibility of MDS sustainment needs.”
The government watchdog also said “there is no approach for prioritizing and making department-wide sustainment decisions” for the MDS.
“Absent comprehensive guidance, including a responsible oversight entity and a process for prioritizing and addressing sustainment challenges, [the Pentagon] lacks reasonable assurance that it can sustain elements and infrastructure to address missile defense threats,” the report said.
The GAO, which delivered its findings to congressional leaders earlier this month, recommended that the Pentagon designate a specific entity responsible for overseeing sustainment of the entire MDS. In its response to the report, the Defense Department said it agrees with that recommendation.
The GAO also said the Pentagon should implement a semi-annual report on the readiness of the MDS. The Defense Department said that step “is already being performed.”
Despite the Pentagon’s assurances, the findings inside the GAO report are alarming. The study examined numerous U.S. sites around the world. At the home of the 10th Missile Defense Battery in Japan, for example, temporary shelters are being used despite the assets being permanently stationed at the location. The site houses AN/TPY-2 radars and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, batteries.
The GAO also said that officials may need to purchase new equipment due to seawater corrosion at the site.
On Guam, the GAO said that units operating THAAD batteries have “insufficient facilities for maintenance work, spares storage, protection from typhoons and lavatories with running water.”
At Alaska’s Fort Greely, GAO officials said personnel at the site have had to physically guard interceptor fields due to the “degradation” of cameras, sensors and other elements of the security system.
Other sites have inadequate storage for spare parts, poor heating and air conditioning systems, and other issues.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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