Expensive and Unnecessary Missile System Needs to be Terminated

The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) is a case study in a weapons system that is both not needed and expensive.  The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) has written about the many problems with MEADS, including the cost overruns and congressional shenanigans, for the past year (read previous posts here and here).  But, terminating a weapons system is herculean work since there are usually congressional supporters that keep the program on life support system despite evidence that it should be terminated. The fiscal year (FY) 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) even states that this year’s funds of $400 million would be the last of the obligations, yet the Army requested $400 million for FY 2013.  Nearly $2 billion has already been spent by the U.S. on the design and development phase, and yet the program will never be built or used by the military.

A recent bi-partisan letter spearheaded by Senate Armed Services Committee members Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Mark Begich (D-Alaska) to the leadership of the Senate Armed Services and Appropriations committees gets to the heart of why funding for MEADS should terminated immediately.  According to the letter (read full letter with all the signatories and press release here), “The Department of Defense has stated that it does not intend to procure MEADS.  Facing a serious fiscal crisis, we cannot afford to spend a single additional dollar on a weapons system such as MEADS that our warfighters will never use.”

Originally conceived as a replacement to the Patriot missile system, MEADS was a joint project between the United States, Italy, and Germany with the Americans shouldering more than 50 percent of the cost.  But, in November of 2011, Defense Industry Daily reported that “Germany changes its mind about termination, as it continues to cut its already weak defense sector. Under the new plan, Germany will also pull out of MEADS, and will cut its Patriot systems in half from 29 to 14.  This move virtually ensures the end of MEADS. If Italy also decides to pull the plug, as now seems likely, there will be no termination costs to fellow partners for shuttering the program.”  The international collaboration that once was cited as a key component to keep the program going is now gone.

The letter from Sens. Ayotte and Begich lays out even more reasons to halt funding.  “The 2012 NDAA clearly states that this year’s funds would be the “final obligations” of funding for MEADS.  We strongly urge you not to allow the Department of Defense to act in contravention of the law and to therefore not allocate any additional funding for MEADS.  We hope that both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee will reiterate the requirement for the Department of Defense to provide a plan for the use of the FY 2012 MEADS funding as a final obligation.”  The letter continued, “The President’s $400 million request for MEADS would be better spent paying down our national debt or fully upgrading the Patriot system.”

Continued funding of MEADS is not in the interest of the taxpayer or the defense of the country.  The Pentagon needs to halt funding immediately and show the necessary leadership to defend the country and tax dollars.