PRESERVATION OF THE BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE CAPACITY OF THE ARMY.

SEC. 1678. PRESERVATION OF THE BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE CAPACITY OF THE ARMY. (a) Limitation.—None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2018 or any fiscal year thereafter for the Army may be obligated or expended to demilitarize any GEM-T interceptor or remove any such interceptor from the operational inventory of the Army until the date on which the Secretary of the Army submits to the congressional defense committees the plan under subsection (b). (b) Plan.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Chief of Staff of the Army shall jointly submit to the congressional defense committees a plan to maintain an inventory of interceptors necessary to retain the capability provided by GEM-T interceptors, including the costs, milestones, and timelines to carry out such plan. (c) Exception.—The limitation in subsection (a) shall not apply to activities that the Secretary determines are critical to the safety of GEM-T interceptors. (d) GEM-T Interceptor Defined.—In this section, the term “GEM-T interceptor” means the Patriot guidance enhanced missile TBM.