WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th June, 2020) The US Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) approved additional funding for missile defense including hypersonic weapons to be included in the annual military budget, a summary of the draft bill revealed on Thursday.
The committee voted 25-2 to advance the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021 to the Senate floor.
"[The amended legislation] provides additional funding for missile defense priorities, including the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, components for an eight Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii, and additional SM-3IIA interceptors," the document said.
The Senate amendments are adding $26 million for 10 additional Tomahawk missiles, authorizing a total procurement of 165 missiles and adding $35 million for 10 additional Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM), to enhance US capabilities to blunt a Chinese offensive, the committee said.
The bill also mandates realigning weapons capabilities in the Indo-Pacific by shifting $75 million to LRASM weapons for the Air Force and adds $59.6 million for 36 Ground-Based Anti-Ship Missiles.
