Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) addressed a critical funding shortfall facing the Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC) Phase 2 construction project in a letter to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin last week.
MSIC, a Department of Defense (DOD) service intelligence center, specializes in the analysis and assessment of foreign air and missile defense systems, ballistic missiles, anti-tank guided missiles, anti-satellite missile systems, and direct energy weapons.
Established in the 1950s, MSIC has played a vital role in providing key analysis during significant historical events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Cold War. Today, it continues to offer crucial intelligence for national security.
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The MSIC is a cornerstone for both Huntsville and the State of Alabama, employing hundreds of defense contractors in the region. These experts in weapons systems, modeling and simulation, and computing are essential to executing the center’s mission.
However, the Phase 2 construction project is encountering “significant cost increases” due to a “200% increase in the cost of electrical equipment and a 120% increase in the cost of specialized mechanical equipment,” resulting in a funding shortfall of approximately $94 million. In her letter, Britt emphasized that “without Phase 2 construction, MSIC will struggle to meet current scientific and technical intelligence needs for the DOD, the Intelligence Community, and the U.S. acquisition community.”
Given the current “heightened threat landscape around the world,” Britt stressed the importance of MSIC’s mission and expertise, stating that “the mission and expertise of MSIC’s highly trained scientists and engineers has never been more relevant and critical to our national defense and the safety and security of our courageous servicemembers deployed around the globe.”
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Senator Britt urged ODNI and DOD to “explore all avenues to consider reprogramming… to fund the remaining Phase 2 project at MSIC.”
During a Senate Appropriations Committee Business Meeting on July 11, 2024, Senator Britt raised the funding shortfall issue while discussing the Fiscal Year 2025 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Britt underscored the importance of MSIC, stating:
“I want to speak briefly today about a critical military construction shortfall at the Defense Intelligence Agency Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC)… While MSIC is located in Huntsville, Ala., it is of nationwide importance and is truly a crown jewel for our intelligence community. Of concern today is the funding shortfall for MSIC’s Phase II construction of its advanced analysis complex… The women and men of MSIC are at the tip of the spear to ensure the U.S. is the most lethal fighting force in the world and that we have what we need to defeat enemy weapons. We must ensure that we maintain our critical edge and that we understand the ins and outs of our foes’ weapons systems before they use them against U.S. servicemen and women or our fellow Americans.”
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Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona) also voiced her support during the markup, committing to work with Senator Britt to address the funding shortfall.
Sinema remarked, “I just wanted to say to Senator Britt how much I appreciate her desire to ensure military installations in her state have the funding they need. You have my commitment to work with you to explore options to address the needs for this project moving forward.”
The discussion highlights the bipartisan recognition of MSIC’s strategic importance and the urgency of securing the necessary funding to complete Phase 2 of its construction project.
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