Defense Drumbeat

THE PROBLEM:

Russia continues to violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty). The Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris recently testified, "there are only two countries that signed on to and one of them doesn't follow it. That becomes a unilateral limitation on us." China has between 1,400 and 1,800 ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles that would be banned under the terms of the treaty, but they're not signatories and don't have to comply; right now, only the U.S. is complying.

Today, the Department of Defense continues to comply with the INF Treaty. The CR prevents the additional development of military options to respond to Russian capabilities deployed in violation of the treaty. Not passing the NDAA also further delays new authorities to better position the U.S. for future counter Russia preparation.

The House-passed NDAA authorizes $50 million for the development of active defense, counter force, and countervailing military responses to the INF treaty, including authorized funding to begin a program of record on a new U.S. ground-launched cruise missile. For much of the previous Administration, the Russians have been allowed to violate the INF treaty with no identifiable response from the United States. The FY18 NDAA would change that. General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified in September that "The status quo, in which we are complying with the treaty and they are not, is untenable."