ACCIDENTAL LAUNCH PROTECTION

SEC. 224. ACCIDENTAL LAUNCH PROTECTION (a) Findings.—Congress makes the following findings: (1) The United States is a signatory to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. (2) The Soviet Union has deployed approximately 1,400 land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and approximately 900 sea-based ballistic missiles. (3) There have been several accidents involving ballistic missiles, including the loss of a submarine of the Soviet Union due to inadvertent missile ignition and the inadvertent landing in China of a test missile of the Soviet Union. (4) Proliferation of ballistic missile technology, such as the action of the People’s Republic of China in providing ballistic missiles to Saudi Arabia, raises the possibility of future nuclear threats. (b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress— 102 STAT. 1943 (1) that the Secretary of Defense should direct the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization to give priority to development of technologies and systems for a system capable of protecting the United States from the accidental launch of a strategic ballistic missile against the continental United States; and (2) that such development of an accidental launch protection system should be carried out with an objective of ensuring that such system is in compliance with the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. (c) Report.—Not later than March 1, 1989, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on the status of planning for development of a deployment option for such an accidental launch protection system.