East Alabama Congressman Mike Rogers (R), Chairman of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee, held a subcommittee hearing today titled, “Adapting U.S. Missile Defense for Future Threats: Russia, China and Modernizing the NMD Act” to discuss what changes the United States should make to respond to the rapidly changing missile threat environment.

“The fact is that Vladimir Putin’s Russia is responsible for much of the world’s ballistic missile proliferation: the recent North Korean ballistic missile launches were Russian SCUD systems. This is well-established fact and shouldn’t surprise anyone.

“The question for Congress, and the Strategic Forces Subcommittee that I lead, is how should we respond to Putin’s aggression? There are those who think that in the face of Vladimir Putin or China’s communist thugs, we shouldn’t defend ourselves. In today’s world, that strategy just won’t work,” Rogers said.

The three witnesses at the hearing included: Dr. Phil Coyle, Senior Science Fellow, Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation; Ambassador Robert G. Joseph, Former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security; Ambassador R. James Woolsey, Jr., Chairman Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Rogers opening statement highlighted the reality of what the United States faces in regards to missile defense across the globe. The statement says, “According to the Missile Defense Agency: There has been an increase of over 1,200 additional ballistic missiles over the past five years….And, as we know, Russia and China are both engaged in aggressive modernization programs, pointing hundreds of missiles of all sizes and ranges at the U.S., its allies and deployed forces.”

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