STUDY ON TESTING PROGRAM OF GROUND-BASED MIDCOURSE MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM.

SEC. 1664. STUDY ON TESTING PROGRAM OF GROUND-BASED MIDCOURSE MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM. (a) Study.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall enter into a contract with a federally funded research and development center to conduct a study on the testing program of the ground-based midcourse missile defense system. (b) Elements.—The study under subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) An assessment of whether the testing program described in subsection (a) has established, as of the date of the study, that the ground-based midcourse missile defense system has a high probability of performing reliably and effectively against limited missile threats from North Korea and Iran under realistic operational conditions, including an explanation of the degree of confidence supporting such assessment. (2) An assessment of whether the currently planned testing program, if implemented, is sufficient to establish reasonable confidence that the ground-based midcourse missile defense system has a high probability of performing reliably and effectively under realistic operational conditions against current and plausible near- and medium-term limited ballistic missile threats from North Korea and Iran. (3) Any recommendations for improvements that could be made to the testing program to— (A) achieve reasonable confidence that the system would be reliable and effective under realistic operational conditions; or (B) improve test and cost efficiencies. (c) Report.—Not later than one year after entering into the contract under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report containing the study. The report shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.