114 STAT. 1654A-42 PUBLIC LAW 106-398 —APPENDIX Infrared System (SBIRS) High, Navy theater missile defense assets, upgrades of land-based theater missile defenses, the airborne laser, and other assets available in the European theater; and (2) a schedule for ground and flight testing against the identified threats. (c) REPORT. — The Secretary of Defense shall assess the plan and, not later than February 15, 2001, shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the results of the assessment. SEC. 234. MANAGEMENT OF AIRBORNE LASER PROGRAM. (a) OVERSIGHT OF FUNDING, SCHEDULE, AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS. —With respect to the program known as of the date of the enactment of this Act as the "Airborne Laser" program, the Secretary of Defense shall require that the Secretary of the Air Force obtain the concurrence of the Director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization before the Secretary— (1) makes any change to the funding plan or schedule for that program that would delay to a date later than September 30, 2003, the first test of the airborne laser that is intended to destroy a ballistic missile in flight; (2) makes any change to the funding plan for that program in the future-years defense program that would delay the initial operational capability of the airborne laser; and (3) makes any change to the technical requirements of the airborne laser that would significantly reduce its ballistic missile defense capabilities. (b) REPORT. — Not later than February 15, 2001, the Director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report, to be prepared in coordination with the Secretary of the Air Force, on the role of the airborne laser in the family of systems missile defense architecture developed by the Director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization and the Director of the Joint Theater Air and Missile Defense Organization. The report shall be submitted in unclassified and, if necessary, classified form. The report shall include the following: (1) An assessment by the Secretary of the Air Force and the Director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization of the funding plan for that program required to achieve the schedule identified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a). (2) Potential future airborne laser roles in that architecture. (3) An assessment of the effect of deployment of the airborne laser on requirements for theater ballistic missile defense systems. (4) An assessment of the cost effectiveness of the airborne laser compared to other ballistic missile defense systems. (5) An assessment of the relative significance of the airborne laser in the family of systems missile defense architecture.
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