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• Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements [March 7, 2012]

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  "Arms control and nonproliferation efforts are two of the tools that have occasionally been used to implement U.S. national security strategy. Although some believe these tools do little to restrain the behavior of U.S. adversaries, while doing too much to restrain U.S. military forces and operations, many other analysts see them as an effective means to promote transparency, ease military planning, limit forces, and protect against uncertainty and surprise. Arms control and nonproliferation efforts have produced formal treaties and agreements, informal arrangements, and cooperative threat reduction and monitoring mechanisms. […] The United States is also a prominent actor in an international regime that attempts to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. This regime, although suffering from some setbacks in recent years in Iran and North Korea, includes formal treaties, export control coordination and enforcement, U.N. [United Nations] resolutions, and organizational controls. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) serves as the cornerstone of this regime, with all but four nations participating in it. The International Atomic Energy Agency not only monitors nuclear programs to make sure they remain peaceful, but also helps nations develop and advance those programs. […] The international community has also adopted a number of agreements that address non-nuclear weapons. […] Other arrangements seek to slow the spread of technologies that nations could use to develop advanced conventional weapons. The Chemical Weapons and Biological Weapons Conventions sought to eliminate both of these types of weapons completely. This report will be updated annually, or as needed."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Woolf, Amy F.; Nikitin, Mary Beth Dunham; Kerr, Paul K.

  2012-03-07
• Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background and Issues for Congress [January 22, 2013]

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  "This report focuses on potential Navy shipboard lasers for countering surface, air, and ballistic missile threats. It does not discuss the use of lasers on Navy aircraft or submarines, or the use of lasers by other military services. This report is based on unclassified information from Navy, RAND, industry briefings on shipboard lasers provided to CRS [Congressional Research Service] and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in the summer of 2010, a follow-on unclassified Navy briefing on shipboard lasers provided to CRS and CBO in May 2011, and unclassified open-domain information. CRS requested the Navy and industry briefings to support the preparation of this report. Unless otherwise indicated, information presented in this report (including the appendices) is taken from the briefings. For purposes of this report, the term 'short range' generally refers to ranges of one or two nautical miles, while references to longer ranges or extended ranges refer to ranges of up to about 10 nautical miles. Lasers are one type of directed energy weapon (DEW); other DEWs include microwave weapons and millimeter wave weapons."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2013-01-22
• Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background and Issues for Congress [August 10, 2012]

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  "This report focuses on potential Navy shipboard lasers for countering surface, air, and ballistic missile threats. It does not discuss the use of lasers on Navy aircraft or submarines, or the use of lasers by other military services. This report is based on unclassified information from Navy, RAND, industry briefings on shipboard lasers provided to CRS [Congressional Research Service] and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in the summer of 2010, a follow-on unclassified Navy briefing on shipboard lasers provided to CRS and CBO in May 2011, and unclassified open-domain information. CRS requested the Navy and industry briefings to support the preparation of this report. Unless otherwise indicated, information presented in this report (including the appendices) is taken from the briefings. For purposes of this report, the term 'short range' generally refers to ranges of one or two nautical miles, while references to longer ranges or extended ranges refer to ranges of up to about 10 nautical miles. Lasers are one type of directed energy weapon (DEW); other DEWs include microwave weapons and millimeter wave weapons."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2012-08-10
• Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues [July 6, 2012]

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  "Prompt global strike (PGS) would allow the United States to strike targets anywhere on Earth with conventional weapons in as little as an hour. This capability may bolster U.S. efforts to deter and defeat adversaries by allowing the United States to attack high-value targets or 'fleeting targets' at the start of or during a conflict. Congress has generally supported the PGS mission, but it has restricted funding and suggested some changes in funding for specific programs. Many analysts believe that the United States should use long-range ballistic missiles armed with conventional warheads for the PGS mission. These weapons would not substitute for nuclear weapons in the U.S. war plan but would, instead, provide a 'niche' capability, with a small number of weapons directed against select, critical targets, which might expand the range of U.S. conventional options. Some analysts, however, have raised concerns about the possibility that U.S. adversaries might misinterpret the launch of a missile with conventional warheads and conclude that the missiles carry nuclear weapons. DOD is considering a number of systems that might provide the United States with long-range strike capabilities."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Woolf, Amy F.

  2012-07-06
• Pakistan: U.S. Foreign Aid Conditions, Restrictions, and Reporting Requirements [June 1, 2012]

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  "The 112th Congress continues to debate levels of U.S. assistance to Pakistan in light of signs that Pakistan may not be a fully willing and effective U.S. partner, and that official Pakistani elements continue to support Afghan insurgent forces. During a period of economic and budget crises in the United States, Obama Administration officials and some senior Members of Congress have voiced concerns about the efficacy of continuing the flow of billions of U.S. aid dollars into Pakistan, with some in Congress urging more stringent conditions on, or even curtailment of, such aid. At issue is whether Pakistan's civilian government and security services are using the aid as intended domestically while actively supporting U.S. efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and combat regional insurgent and terrorist elements. Existing aid restrictions and the certification process required for greater accountability on the part of Pakistan are thus under scrutiny. […] This report provides a comprehensive list of existing laws and pending legislation containing conditions, limitations, and reporting requirements for U.S. foreign assistance to Pakistan. It will track the debate on this topic and resulting changes. For broader discussion of U.S.-Pakistan relations, see CRS Report R41832, 'Pakistan-U.S. Relations', by K. Alan Kronstadt. See also CRS Report R41856, 'Pakistan: U.S. Foreign Assistance', by Susan B. Epstein and K. Alan Kronstadt. Both are updated regularly."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kronstadt, K. Alan; Epstein, Susan B.

  2012-06-01
• Gun Control Legislation [November 14, 2012]

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  "Congress has debated the efficacy and constitutionality of federal regulation of firearms and ammunition, with strong advocates arguing for and against greater gun control. During the 112th Congress, several mass-casualty shootings punctuated public discourse on gun control. In a January 8, 2011, Tucson, AZ, shooting, 6 people were killed and 14 wounded, including Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was grievously wounded. In a July 20, 2012, Aurora, CO, theater shooting, 12 people were killed and 58 wounded. In an August 5, 2012, Milwaukee, WI, Sikh temple shooting, 6 people were killed and three wounded. Several Members of Congress called for reconsideration of an expired ban on high capacity ammunition feeding devices (H.R. [House Resolution] 308 and S. 32), strengthening provisions designed to encourage states to make firearms-related disqualifying records more accessible to federal authorities (S. 436/H.R.1781), and tightening regulation of interstate ammunition transfers (S. 3458/H.R. 6241). [...] This report also includes discussion of other salient and recurring gun control issues that have generated past or current congressional interest. Those issues include (1) screening firearms background check applicants against terrorist watch lists, (2) combating gun trafficking and straw purchases, (3) reforming the regulation of federally licensed gun dealers, (4) requiring background checks for private firearms transfers at gun shows, (5) more-strictly regulating certain firearms previously defined in statute as 'semiautomatic assault weapons,' and (6) banning or requiring the registration of certain long-range .50 caliber rifles, which are commonly referred to as 'sniper' rifles. To set these and other emerging issues in context, this report provides basic firearms-related statistics, an overview of federal firearms law, and a summary of legislative action in the 111th and 112th Congresses."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Krouse, William J.

  2012-11-14
• Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements [March 23, 2011]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "Arms control and nonproliferation efforts are two of the tools that have occasionally been used to implement U.S. national security strategy. Although some believe these tools do little to restrain the behavior of U.S. adversaries, while doing too much to restrain U.S. military forces and operations, many other analysts see them as an effective means to promote transparency, ease military planning, limit forces, and protect against uncertainty and surprise. Arms control and nonproliferation efforts have produced formal treaties and agreements, informal arrangements, and cooperative threat reduction and monitoring mechanisms. The pace of implementation slowed, however, in the 1990s, and the Bush Administration usually preferred unilateral or ad hoc measures to formal treaties and agreements to address U.S. security concerns. But the Obama Administration has resumed bilateral negotiations with Russia and pledged its support for a number of multilateral arms control and nonproliferation efforts. […] The international community has also adopted a number of agreements that address non-nuclear weapons. The CFE [Conventional Armed Forces in Europe] Treaty and Open Skies Treaty sought to stabilize the conventional balance in Europe in the waning years of the Cold War. Other arrangements seek to slow the spread of technologies that nations could use to develop advanced conventional weapons. The Chemical Weapons and Biological Weapons Conventions sought to eliminate both of these types of weapons completely. This report will be updated annually, or as needed."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kerr, Paul K.; Nikitin, Mary Beth Dunham; Woolf, Amy F.

  2011-03-23
• Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background and Issues for Congress [March 14, 2013]

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  "This report is based on unclassified information from Navy, RAND, industry briefings on shipboard lasers provided to CRS and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in the summer of 2010, a follow-on unclassified Navy briefing on shipboard lasers provided to CRS [Congressional Research Service] and CBO in May 2011, and unclassified open-domain information. CRS requested the Navy and industry briefings to support the preparation of this report. Unless otherwise indicated, information presented in this report (including the appendices) is taken from the briefings. For purposes of this report, the term 'short range' generally refers to ranges of one or two nautical miles, while references to longer ranges or extended ranges refer to ranges of up to about 10 nautical miles. Lasers are one type of directed energy weapon (DEW); other DEWs include microwave weapons and millimeter wave weapons."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2013-03-14
• Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations [February 4, 2011]

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  "This report provides an overview of U.S.-Egyptian relations, Egyptian politics, and U.S. foreign aid to Egypt. Major public unrest transpiring in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world in recent weeks raises challenging policy questions for the United States government and the 112th Congress. U.S. policy toward Egypt has long been framed as an investment in regional stability, built primarily on long-running military cooperation and sustaining the March 1979 Egyptian- Israeli peace treaty. Successive U.S. Administrations have viewed Egypt's government as a moderating influence in the Middle East. At the same time, there have been increasing U.S. calls for Egypt to democratize. In recent years, congressional views of U.S.-Egyptian relations have varied. Many lawmakers have viewed Egypt as a stabilizing regional force, but some members have argued for the United States to pressure Egypt's government to implement political reforms, improve human rights, and take a more active role in reducing Arab-Israeli tensions. Those concerns, in addition to economic frustration, are now driving the most significant public unrest in Egypt in a generation. The Obama Administration has called on the Egyptian government to respect the basic rights of protestors and has expressed concern about violence, while calling for a meaningful transition toward more democratic governance to begin immediately. […] On February 1, President Barack Obama stated that 'throughout this period, we've stood for a set of core principles. First, we oppose violence. ...Second, we stand for universal values, including the rights of the Egyptian people to freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and the freedom to access information. ...Third, we have spoken out on behalf of the need for change.' Reconciling those principles with ongoing events is now the major challenge for U.S.-Egyptian relations."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sharp, Jeremy Maxwell

  2011-02-04
• Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations [May 12, 2009]

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  "This report provides an overview of Egyptian politics and current issues in U.S.-Egyptian relations. It briefly provides a political history of modern Egypt, an overview of its political institutions, and a discussion of the prospects for democratization in Egypt. U.S. policy toward Egypt is aimed at maintaining regional stability, improving bilateral relations, continuing military cooperation, and sustaining the March 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. Successive Administrations have long viewed Egypt as a moderating influence in the Middle East, at the same time in recent years, there have been increasing U.S. calls for Egypt to democratize. Congressional views of U.S.-Egyptian relations vary. Many lawmakers view Egypt as a stabilizing force in the region, but some Members would like the United States to pressure Egypt to implement political reforms, improve its human rights record, and take a more active role in reducing Arab-Israeli tensions. […]There are several pieces of pending legislation on Egypt before the 111th Congress. Among them, H.Res. 200 [House of Representatives Resolution 200] calls on the Egyptian Government to, among other things, 'end all forms of harassment, including judicial measures, the detention of media professionals and, more generally, human rights defenders and activists calling for reforms.' H.R. 696, the Egyptian Counterterrorism and Political Reform Act, would, among other things, prohibit U.S. military assistance to Egypt. H.Res. 282, among other things, 'recognizes the 30th anniversary of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, celebrates the treaty's strength and endurance, and commends the extraordinary diplomatic achievement that the treaty exemplifies.'"

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sharp, Jeremy Maxwell

  2009-05-12
• Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations [March 26, 2009]

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  "This report provides an overview of Egyptian politics and current issues in U.S.-Egyptian relations. It briefly provides a political history of modern Egypt, an overview of its political institutions, and a discussion of the prospects for democratization in Egypt. This report will be updated regularly. U.S. policy toward Egypt is aimed at maintaining regional stability, improving bilateral relations, continuing military cooperation, and sustaining the March 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. Successive Administrations have long viewed Egypt as a moderating influence in the Middle East, at the same time in recent years, there have been increasing U.S. calls for Egypt to democratize. Congressional views of U.S.-Egyptian relations vary. Many lawmakers view Egypt as a stabilizing force in the region, but some Members would like the United States to pressure Egypt to implement political reforms, improve its human rights record, and take a more active role in reducing Arab-Israeli tensions."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sharp, Jeremy Maxwell

  2009-03-26
• Egypt in Transition [September 21, 2011]

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  "On February 11, 2011, President Hosni Mubarak resigned from the presidency after 29 years in power. For 18 days, a popular peaceful uprising spread across Egypt and ultimately forced Mubarak to cede power to the military. How Egypt transitions to a more democratic system in the months ahead will have major implications for U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and for other countries in the region ruled by monarchs and dictators. This report provides a brief overview of the transition underway and information on U.S. foreign aid to Egypt. U.S. policy toward Egypt has long been framed as an investment in regional stability, built primarily on long-running military cooperation and sustaining the March 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. Successive U.S. Administrations have viewed Egypt's government as a moderating influence in the Middle East. U.S. policy makers are now grappling with complex questions about the future of U.S.-Egypt relations, and these debates are likely to influence consideration of appropriations and authorization legislation in the 112th Congress. The United States has provided Egypt with an annual average of $2 billion in economic and military foreign assistance since 1979. For FY2012, the Obama Administration has requested $1.551 billion in total aid to Egypt."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sharp, Jeremy Maxwell

  2011-09-21
• Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options [November 18, 2009]

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  "The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991; it entered into force in December 1994 and is due to expire in December 2009. The United States and Russia have held several meetings to discuss options for continuing their arms control relationship. They are currently negotiating a new Treaty that would replace START. […]The United States and Russia could choose from a number of options for the future of their arms control relationship. They could allow START to lapse or they could extend START for five years. They could extend START, then amend it to ease some of the outdated provisions. They could negotiate a new Treaty, or they could pursue less formal arrangements to manage their nuclear forces. Moreover, if a new treaty included further reductions in nuclear weapons, it could use some START definitions and counting rules or the less formal Moscow Treaty declarations."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Woolf, Amy F.

  2009-11-18
• Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options [Updated August 14, 2009]

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  "The United States and Russia could choose from a number of options for the future of their arms control relationship. They could allow START to lapse or they could extend START for five years. They could extend START, then amend it to ease some of the outdated provisions. They could negotiate a new Treaty, or they could pursue less formal arrangements to manage their nuclear forces. Moreover, if a new treaty included further reductions in nuclear weapons, it could use some START definitions and counting rules or the less formal Moscow Treaty declarations."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Woolf, Amy F.

  2009-08-14
• China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities-Background and Issues for Congress [May 29, 2009]

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  "In the debate over future U.S. defense spending, including deliberations taking place in the current Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), a key issue is how much emphasis to place on programs for countering improved Chinese military forces in coming years. Observers disagree on the issue, with some arguing that such programs should receive significant emphasis, others arguing that they should receive relatively little, and still others taking an intermediate position. The question of how much emphasis to place in U.S. defense planning on programs for countering improved Chinese military forces is of particular importance to the U.S. Navy, because many programs associated with countering improved Chinese military forces would fall within the Navy's budget. A decision to place a relatively strong defense-planning emphasis on countering improved Chinese military forces in coming years could lead to one more of the following: increasing activities for monitoring and understanding developments in China's navy, as well as activities for measuring and better understanding operating conditions in the Western Pacific; assigning a larger percentage of the Navy to the Pacific Fleet; homeporting more of the Pacific Fleet's ships at forward locations such as Hawaii, Guam, and Japan; increasing training and exercises in operations relating to countering Chinese maritime anti-access forces, such as antisubmarine warfare (ASW) operations; and placing a relatively strong emphasis on programs for developing and procuring highly capable ships, aircraft, and weapons."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2009-05-29
• China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities-Background and Issues for Congress [December 1, 2010]

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  "The question of how the United States should respond to China's military modernization effort, including its naval modernization effort, has emerged as a key issue in U.S. defense planning. Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, stated in June 2010 that 'I have moved from being curious to being genuinely concerned' about China's military programs. The question of how the United States should respond to China's military modernization effort is of particular importance to the U.S. Navy, because many U.S. military programs for countering improved Chinese military forces would fall within the Navy's budget. Decisions that Congress and the executive branch make regarding U.S. Navy programs for countering improved Chinese maritime military capabilities could affect the likelihood or possible outcome of a potential U.S.-Chinese military conflict in the Pacific over Taiwan or some other issue. Some observers consider such a conflict to be very unlikely, in part because of significant U.S.-Chinese economic linkages and the tremendous damage that such a conflict could cause on both sides. In the absence of such a conflict, however, the U.S.-Chinese military balance in the Pacific could nevertheless influence day-to-day choices made by other Pacific countries, including choices on whether to align their policies more closely with China or the United States. In this sense, decisions that Congress and the executive branch make regarding U.S. Navy programs for countering improved Chinese maritime military forces could influence the political evolution of the Pacific, which in turn could affect the ability of the United States to pursue goals relating to various policy issues, both in the Pacific and elsewhere."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2010-12-01
• Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements [September 20, 2011]

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  "Arms control and nonproliferation efforts are two of the tools that have occasionally been used to implement U.S. national security strategy. Although some believe these tools do little to restrain the behavior of U.S. adversaries, while doing too much to restrain U.S. military forces and operations, many other analysts see them as an effective means to promote transparency, ease military planning, limit forces, and protect against uncertainty and surprise. Arms control and nonproliferation efforts have produced formal treaties and agreements, informal arrangements, and cooperative threat reduction and monitoring mechanisms. The pace of implementation slowed, however, in the 1990s, and the Bush Administration usually preferred unilateral or ad hoc measures to formal treaties and agreements to address U.S. security concerns. But the Obama Administration has resumed bilateral negotiations with Russia and pledged its support for a number of multilateral arms control and nonproliferation efforts. [...] The United States is also a prominent actor in an international regime that attempts to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. This regime, although suffering from some setbacks in recent years in Iran and North Korea, includes formal treaties, export control coordination and enforcement, U.N. resolutions, and organizational controls. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) serves as the cornerstone of this regime, with all but four nations participating in it. The International Atomic Energy Agency not only monitors nuclear programs to make sure they remain peaceful, but also helps nations develop and advance those programs. Other measures, such as sanctions, interdiction efforts, and informal cooperative endeavors, also seek to slow or stop the spread of nuclear materials and weapons."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Woolf, Amy F.; Nikitin, Mary Beth Dunham; Kerr, Paul K.

  2011-09-20
• Pakistan: U.S. Foreign Aid Conditions, Restrictions, and Reporting Requirements [January 5, 2012]

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  "The 112th Congress continues to debate levels of U.S. assistance to Pakistan in light of signs that Pakistan may not be a fully willing and effective U.S. partner, and that official Pakistani elements continue to support Afghan insurgent forces. During a period of economic and budget crises in the United States, Obama Administration officials and some senior Members of Congress have voiced concerns about the efficacy of continuing the flow of billions of U.S. aid dollars into Pakistan, with some in Congress urging more stringent conditions on, or even curtailment of, such aid. At issue is whether Pakistan's civilian government and security services are using the aid as intended domestically while actively supporting U.S. efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and combat regional insurgent and terrorist elements. Existing aid restrictions and the certification process required for greater accountability on the part of Pakistan are thus under scrutiny."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kronstadt, K. Alan; Epstein, Susan B.

  2012-01-05
• Pakistan: U.S. Foreign Aid Conditions, Restrictions, and Reporting Requirements [December 15, 2011]

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  "The 112th Congress continues to debate levels of U.S. assistance to Pakistan in light of signs that Pakistan may not be a fully willing and effective U.S. partner, and that official Pakistani elements continue to support Afghan insurgent forces. During a period of economic and budget crises in the United States, Obama Administration officials and some senior Members of Congress have voiced concerns about the efficacy of continuing the flow of billions of U.S. aid dollars into Pakistan, with some in Congress urging more stringent conditions on, or even curtailment of, such aid. At issue is whether Pakistan's civilian government and security services are using the aid as intended domestically while actively supporting U.S. efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and combat regional insurgent and terrorist elements. Existing aid restrictions and the certification process required for greater accountability on the part of Pakistan are thus under scrutiny."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kronstadt, K. Alan; Epstein, Susan B.

  2011-12-15
• Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background and Issues for Congress [June 12, 2015]

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  "Department of Defense (DOD) development work on high-energy military lasers, which has been underway for decades, has reached the point where lasers capable of countering certain surface and air targets at ranges of about a mile could be made ready for installation on Navy surface ships over the next few years. More powerful shipboard lasers, which could become ready for installation in subsequent years, could provide Navy surface ships with an ability to counter a wider range of surface and air targets at ranges of up to about 10 miles. The Navy and DOD have conducted development work on three principal types of lasers for potential use on Navy surface ships--fiber solid state lasers (SSLs), slab SSLs, and free electron lasers (FELs). One fiber SSL prototype demonstrator developed by the Navy is the Laser Weapon System (LaWS). The Navy in August 2014 installed a LaWS system on the USS Ponce, a ship operating in the Persian Gulf as an interim Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB[I]), to conduct continued evaluation of shipboard lasers in an operational setting. The Navy reportedly anticipates moving to a shipboard laser program of record in 'the FY2018 time frame' and achieving an initial operational capability (IOC) with a shipboard laser in FY2020 or FY2021. Although the Navy is developing laser technologies and prototypes of potential shipboard lasers, and has a generalized vision for shipboard lasers, the Navy currently does not yet have a program of record for procuring a production version of a shipboard laser."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2015-06-12
• Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress [March 3, 2015]

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  "The Navy has been procuring Virginia (SSN-774) class nuclear-powered attack submarines since FY1998. The two Virginia-class boats requested for procurement in FY2016 are to be the 23rd and 24th boats in the class. The 10 Virginia-class boats programmed for procurement in FY2014- FY2018 (two per year for five years) are being procured under a multiyear-procurement (MYP) contract. The Navy estimates the combined procurement cost of the two Virginia-class boats requested for procurement in FY2016 at $5,376.9 million or an average of $2,688.4 million each. The boats have received a total of $1,613.5 million in prior-year advance procurement (AP) funding and $416.9 million in prior-year Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) funding. The Navy's proposed FY2016 budget requests the remaining $3,346.4 million needed to complete the boats' estimated combined procurement cost. The Navy's proposed FY2016 budget also requests $1,663.8 million in AP funding and $330.0 million in EOQ funding for Virginia-class boats to be procured in future fiscal years, bringing the total FY2016 funding request for the program (excluding outfitting and post-delivery costs) to $5,340.1 million. The Navy's FY2015 30-year SSN procurement plan, if implemented, would not be sufficient to maintain a force of 48 SSNs consistently over the long run. The Navy projects under that plan that the SSN force would fall below 48 boats starting in FY2025, reach a minimum of 41 boats in FY2028-FY2030, and remain below 48 boats through FY2034. Potential issues for Congress regarding the Virginia-class program include the Virginia-class procurement rate in coming years, particularly in the context of the SSN shortfall projected for FY2025-FY2034 and the larger debate over future U.S. defense strategy and defense spending."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2015-03-03
• Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background and Issues for Congress [August 6, 2013]

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  "Department of Defense (DOD) development work on high-energy military lasers, which has been underway for decades, has reached the point where lasers capable of countering certain surface and air targets at ranges of about a mile could be made ready for installation on Navy surface ships over the next few years. More powerful shipboard lasers, which could become ready for installation in subsequent years, could provide Navy surface ships with an ability to counter a wider range of surface and air targets at ranges of up to about 10 miles. These more powerful lasers might, among other things, provide Navy surface ships with a terminal-defense capability against certain ballistic missiles, including China's new anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM). [...] In addition to decisions on whether or not to fund continued development of potential shipboard lasers, options for Congress regarding potential shipboard lasers include, among other things, encouraging or directing the Navy or some other DOD organization to perform an analysis of alternatives (AOA) comparing the cost-effectiveness of lasers and traditional kinetic weapons (such as missiles and guns) for countering surface, air, and missile targets, and encouraging or directing the Navy to adopt a program of record for procuring a production version of a shipboard laser, and/or a roadmap that calls for installing lasers on specific surface ships by specific dates."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2013-08-06
• Gun Control Legislation in the 113th Congress [January 8, 2015]

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  "The December 2012 Newtown, CT, tragedy, along with other mass shootings in Aurora, CO, and Tucson, AZ, restarted the national gun control debate in the 113th Congress. The Senate considered a range of legislative proposals, including several that President Barack Obama supported as part of his national gun violence reduction plan. The most salient of these proposals would have (1) required background checks for intrastate firearms transfers between unlicensed persons at gun shows and nearly any other venue, otherwise known as the 'universal background checks' proposal; (2) increased penalties for gun trafficking; and (3) reinstated and strengthened an expired federal ban on detachable ammunition magazines of over 10-round capacity and certain 'military style' firearms commonly described as 'semiautomatic assault weapons,' which are designed to accept such magazines. […] The House passed and the Senate considered bills (H.R. 3590 and S. 2363) intended to promote hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting in February and July 2014, respectively. Both bills arguably included several gun control-related provisions. The House Committee on Appropriations approved an FY2015 Interior appropriations measure (H.R. 4923) on July 9, 2014, that included provisions which were similar, but not identical, to those included in H.R. 3590 and S. 2363. The House passed an FY2015 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill (H.R. 4923) on July 10, 2014, that included a provision that would have addressed civilian carry of firearms on public properties managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. In addition, the House amended and passed an FY2015 District of Columbia appropriations bill (H.R. 5016) on July 16, 2014, with a provision that would have prohibited the use of any funding provided under that bill from being used to enforce certain District gun control statutes."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Krouse, William J.

  2015-01-08
• Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress [August 6, 2013]

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  "Multiyear procurement (MYP) and block buy contracting (BBC) are special contracting mechanisms that Congress permits the Department of Defense (DOD) to use for a limited number of defense acquisition programs. Compared to the standard or default approach of annual contracting, MYP and BBC have the potential for reducing weapon procurement costs by several percent. Under annual contracting, DOD uses one or more contracts for each year's worth of procurement of a given kind of item. Under MYP, DOD instead uses a single contract for two to five years' worth of procurement of a given kind of item without having to exercise a contract option for each year after the first year. DOD needs congressional approval for each use of MYP. There is a permanent statute governing MYP contracting--10 U.S.C. 2306b. Under this statute, a program must meet several criteria to qualify for MYP. [...] Potential issues for Congress concerning MYP and BBC include whether to use MYP and BBC in the future more frequently, less frequently, or about as frequently as they are currently used, and whether to create a permanent statute to govern the use of BBC, analogous to the permanent statute that governs the use of MYP."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Schwartz, Moshe; O'Rourke, Ronald

  2013-08-06
• Navy TAO(X) Oiler Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress [February 6, 2015]

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  "The TAO(X) [the 'T' prefix designates a naval vessel crewed by civilians but under naval command, 'AO' is the naval designation for 'fleet oiler' vessels, and '(X)' refers to any specific oiler model type] oiler shipbuilding program is a program to build a new class of 17 fleet oilers for the Navy. The primary role of Navy fleet oilers is to transfer fuel to Navy surface ships that are operating at sea, so as to extend the operating endurance of these surface ships and their embarked aircraft. The Navy wants to procure the first TAO(X) in FY2016. The Navy's proposed FY2016 budget requests $674.2 million to fully fund the procurement of the first TAO(X). The Navy is requesting this funding in its regular shipbuilding account (the Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy, or SCN, account), rather than in the National Defense Sealift Fund (NDSF), a separate account in the Department of Defense (DOD) budget where DOD sealift ships and Navy auxiliary ships have been funded. […] Issues for Congress for FY2016 regarding the TAO(X) program include: (1) whether to approve, reject, or modify the Navy's FY2016 request for $674.2 million for the procurement of the first TAO(X); (2) whether to fund the procurement of TAO(X)s in the SCN account, as the Navy proposes, or the NDSF [National Defense Sealift Fund]; and (3) whether to approve, reject, or modify the Navy's proposal to bundle together the TAO(X), LHA-8 [naval acronym referring to an 8th generation of a LHA class amphibious assault ship], and LX(R) [naval designation for an amphibious ship building program] competitions and limit bidding in the bundled competition to HII/Ingalls [Huntington Ingalls Industries] and GD/NASSCO [National Steel and Shipbuilding Company of General Dynamics]."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2015-02-06
• Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background and Issues for Congress [April 24, 2013]

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  "This report focuses on potential Navy shipboard lasers for countering surface, air, and ballistic missile threats. It does not discuss the use of lasers on Navy aircraft or submarines, or the use of lasers by other military services. This report is based on unclassified information from Navy, RAND, industry briefings on shipboard lasers provided to CRS [Congressional Research Service] and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in the summer of 2010, a follow-on unclassified Navy briefing on shipboard lasers provided to CRS and CBO in May 2011, and unclassified open-domain information. CRS requested the Navy and industry briefings to support the preparation of this report. Unless otherwise indicated, information presented in this report (including the appendices) is taken from the briefings. For purposes of this report, the term 'short range' generally refers to ranges of one or two nautical miles, while references to longer ranges or extended ranges refer to ranges of up to about 10 nautical miles. Lasers are one type of directed energy weapon (DEW); other DEWs include microwave weapons and millimeter wave weapons."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2013-04-24
• Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues [April 26, 2013]

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  "Prompt global strike (PGS) would allow the United States to strike targets anywhere on Earth with conventional weapons in as little as an hour. This capability may bolster U.S. efforts to deter and defeat adversaries by allowing the United States to attack high-value targets or 'fleeting targets' at the start of or during a conflict. Congress has generally supported the PGS mission, but it has restricted funding and suggested some changes in funding for specific programs. Many analysts believe that the United States should use long-range ballistic missiles with conventional warheads for the PGS mission. These would not substitute for nuclear weapons in the U.S. war plan but would provide a 'niche' capability, with a small number of weapons directed against select, critical targets. Some analysts, however, have raised concerns about the possibility that U.S. adversaries might misinterpret the launch of a missile with conventional warheads and conclude that the missiles carry nuclear weapons. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is considering a number of systems that might provide the United States with long-range strike capabilities."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Woolf, Amy F.

  2013-04-26
• Gun Control Proposals in the 113th Congress: Universal Background Checks, Gun Trafficking, and Military Style Firearms [June 7, 2013]

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  "Congress has debated the efficacy and constitutionality of federal regulation of firearms and ammunition, with strong advocates arguing for and against greater gun control. The mass shooting in Newtown, CT, along with other mass shootings in Aurora, CO, and Tucson, AZ, has restarted the national gun control debate. Members of the 113th Congress could consider a range of legislative proposals, including several that President Barack Obama has announced his support for as part of his national gun violence reduction plan. The most salient of the President's legislative proposals would (1) require background checks for intrastate firearms transfers between unlicensed persons at gun shows and nearly any other venue, otherwise known as the 'universal background checks' proposal; (2) increase penalties for gun trafficking; and (3) reinstate and strengthen an expired federal ban on detachable ammunition magazines of over 10- round capacity and certain 'military style' firearms commonly described as 'semiautomatic assault weapons,' which are designed to accept such magazines."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Krouse, William J.

  2013-06-07
• Gun Control Proposals in the 113th Congress: Universal Background Checks, Gun Trafficking, and Military Style Firearms [April 5, 2013]

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  "Congress has debated the efficacy and constitutionality of federal regulation of firearms and ammunition, with strong advocates arguing for and against greater gun control. The mass shooting in Newtown, CT, along with other mass shootings in Aurora, CO, and Tucson, AZ, has restarted the national gun control debate. Members of the 113th Congress could consider a range of legislative proposals, including several that President Barack Obama has announced his support for as part of his national gun violence reduction plan. The most salient of the President's legislative proposals would (1) require background checks for intrastate firearms transfers between unlicensed persons at gun shows and nearly any other venue, otherwise known as the 'universal background checks' proposal; (2) increase penalties for gun trafficking; and (3) reinstate and strengthen an expired federal ban on detachable ammunition magazines of over 10- round capacity and certain 'military style' firearms commonly described as 'semiautomatic assault weapons,' which are designed to accept such magazines."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Krouse, William J.

  2013-04-05
• Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress [April 25, 2013]

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  "This report provides background information and issues for Congress on multiyear procurement (MYP) and block buy contracting (BBC), which are special contracting mechanisms that Congress permits the Department of Defense (DOD) to use for a limited number of defense acquisition programs. Compared to the standard or default approach of annual contracting, MYP and BBC have the potential for reducing weapon procurement costs by several percent. Potential issues for Congress concerning MYP and BBC include whether to use MYP and BBC in the future more frequently, less frequently, or about as frequently as they are currently used, and whether to create a permanent statute to govern the use of BBC, analogous to the permanent statute (10 U.S.C. 2306b) that governs the use of MYP. Congress's decisions on these issues could affect defense acquisition practices, defense funding requirements, and the defense industrial base."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald; Schwartz, Moshe

  2013-04-25