AIA co-hosts missile defense advocacy event on Capitol Hill.
Press Release Summary:
AIA jointly held briefing on Capitol Hill with George Marshall Institute and Space Transportation Association to educate Congress and the public on missile defense. AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey highlighted need for balanced and stable funding for current and future missile defense initiatives, while House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Chairman Rep. Michael Turner discussed areas of missile defense such as ground-based midcourse defense and phased adaptive approach.
Original Press Release:
AIA Co-Hosts Missile Defense Advocacy Event on Capitol Hill
AIA jointly held a briefing on Capitol Hill April 5 with the George Marshall Institute and the Space Transportation Association to educate Congress and the public on missile defense.
The event featured remarks from AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey and House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Chairman Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio). Former director of the Missile Defense Agency, Lt. Gen. Henry "Trey" Obering (USAF-Ret.), provided an overview of U.S. missile defense initiatives.
The event occurred on the heels of a hearing before Chairman Turner's Subcommittee on the Fiscal Year 2012 Defense Authorization Request for Missile Defense. The Missile Defense Agency is requesting $8.6 billion for its fiscal year 2012 efforts.
Blakey highlighted the need for balanced and stable funding for current and future missile defense initiatives, which are critical to keeping our nation, troops and allies safe. She recommended AIA's recent report, Tipping Point: Maintaining the Health of the National Security Space Industrial Base, as a good source of information on the space and missile industrial base.
Turner laid out his priorities and discussed areas of missile defense such as ground-based midcourse defense and the phased adaptive approach. He also mentioned the importance of investments in science and technology needed to make advancements in missile defense capability.
The George Marshall Institute is planning to post a video of the event, complete with the general's slide presentation, on its website, www.marshall.org. As part of that presentation, Obering laid out a case for missile defense, including the widespread use of missile technology and potential threats from rogue nations. Obering reported that over the last five years more than 1,200 additional missiles have proliferated globally.
AIA is pleased to work again with the George Marshall Institute and the Space Transportation Association on an annual missile defense education series. Stay tuned for details on future briefings by the partnership.
AIA Source: mike.conschafter[at]aia-aerospace.org
