Ballistic Missile Defense

The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization will have spent about $183 million on the Strategic Target System (STARS) through fiscal year 1993. This project entails launching boosters carrying targets and other experiments from Kauai, Hawaii. About $27 million is budgeted for fiscal year 1994. Beginning in fiscal year 1995 when the program becomes operational, the cost of each STARS launch should range from about $6 million to $11 million. Program operating costs are pegged at an additional $17 million to $20 million annually. Expenses arising from a failed launch would mainly be linked to clearing vehicle debris and the effects of any fires on the ground. Twelve more STARS launches from Kauai are scheduled through fiscal year 2003. Although some of the missions could be achieved from other locations, such changes would entail mission delays and performance degradation, along with additional costs for building alternative launch sites.

GAO found that: (1) the cost of STARS will be about $183.1 million through fiscal year (FY) 1993; (2) about $27 million is budgeted for STARS for FY 1994; (3) beginning in FY 1995, the project is estimated to cost between $17 million and $20 million a year and scheduled to operate until FY 2003; (4) there are twelve scheduled launches which will cost $5.9 million each; (5) catastrophic failure expenses are not expected to be extensive; and (6) alternative launch sites would likely involve some mission delays and performance degradation, as well as additional costs for constructing alternative launch sites.