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Netscape mail reader format: "Options/Mail & News Preferences/Appearance" = Fixed Width Font. ================================================================ NONLETHAL WEAPONS PROGRAM: NATION DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION U.S. Government July 1995 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 104TH CONGRESS } SENATE { REPORT 1st Session } { 104-112 NATION DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1996 REPORT [TO ACCOMPANY S. 1026] ON AUTHORIZING APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1996 FOR MILITARY ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, FOR MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, AND FOR DEFENSE ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, TO PRESCRIBE PERSONNEL STRENGTHS FOR SUCH FISCAL YEAR FOR THE ARMED FORCES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES TOGETHER WITH ADDITIONAL AND MINORITY VIEWS ------------- COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES UNITED STATES SENATE JULY 12 (legislative day, JULY 10), 1995. -- Ordered to be printed ------------- U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 92-111 WASHINGTON : 1995 [...] Pg. 108 with the legislation in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995. *Section - 218. Nonlethal weapons program*. Non-lethal weapons (NLW) offer field commanders important new capabilities across the spectrum of conflict, but are especially valuable in non-traditional operations where high collateral damage can inflame the situation, put U.S. lives at risk, and undermine the political objectives of the mission. NLW disable or incapacitate personnel and equipment while causing minimal collateral damage. They can also be used to make reversible attacks against infrastructure -- roads or power grids, for example. NLW systems can also locate and destroy an enemy's weapons or the projectiles fired by them. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 authorized $41.0 million for work on non-lethal weapons technology applicable to peacekeeping and law enforcement. The committee supports the continuation of the effort to identify, evaluate, develop and field non-lethal systems and technologies that recommends $37.2 million for fiscal year 1996. This effort includes dual use technologies that will benefit both military forces and law enforcement. Thus the fiscal year 1996 authorization for a NLW program will incorporate the joint program conducted under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense, and managed in fiscal year 1995 by the Advanced Research Projects Agency. The committee notes the interest on the part of the Department of Defense on developing near-term NLW capabilities because of their possible value in complex, ambiguous situations that demand operational flexibility. In particular, the committee commends the initiative of the Marine Corps in transitioning non-lethal technologies for employment in Operation United Shield. Although limited in scope, the Marine Corps experience validated the operational utility of NLW. It also revealed significant shortcomings in the U.S. Military's ability to deploy nonlethal and less-than-lethal systems. Consequently, the committee directs that a new, consolidated program for non-lethal systems and technology be established and managed by the Office of Strategic and Tactical Systems of the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Technology, which has demonstrated a commitment to systemization and fielding of mature NLW technologies. The focus of this new Program Office shall be to create the earliest possible operational capabilities for deployed forces. The committee establishes a new Program Element/budget line item for this program, and directs the following transfer of funds to the new Program Element: $6.0 million; from PE 603750D Advanced Concept Technology (Advanced Land Systems), $17.8 million; and from PE 603226E Experimental Evaluation of Major Innovative Technologies, $10.0 million. The committee intends that these funds be used to execute the NLW program plan recently approved by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology. However, the committee is also aware of Pg. 109 other funds being used to support highly classified programs in non-lethal technology and Operations Other Than War. The committee recommends that the new Program Office for Non-lethal Systems and Technology be given responsibility for coordinating a comprehensive, Department-wide effort in NLW and Operations Other Than War, including currently classified programs. *Section - 219. Federally funded research and development centers*. The committee is pleased at the degree to which the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology is attempting to assert greater management control over the 11 Department of Defense federally-funded research and development centers (FFRDC) and the similar university affiliated research centers (UARC). The committee supports the current initiatives within the Department of Defense to improve the management of fees, to define the core work that FFRDC's and UARC's perform, to compete the non-core work, and to establish an independent advisory committee to review and report annually on Department of Defense management of FFRDC's and UARC's. The committee intends to review the implementation of these initiatives in future hearings to insure that implementation is timely and aggressive. The committee notes that the recent DOD FFRDC management efforts have included two independent reviews of the controversial issue of executive compensation. Both the DOD Inspector General and the private sector Hay Group analyzed this issue, and found that executive compensation levels at FFRDC's were generally either at or below the market averages. Therefore, the committee believes that continuation of a congressionally-mandated salary ceiling is inappropriate. In recognition of the continuing decline in funding for research and development, the committee recommends an undistributed reduction in FFRDC funding of $90.0 million below the ceiling for fiscal year 1995 and has established a statutory ceiling for FFRDC's of $1.162 billion in fiscal year 1996. The committee expects that this reduction will be implemented by moving non-core work, from FFRDCs other than Studies and Analyses FFRDCs, to other competitively-awarded contracts as determined by the ongoing DOD review of core capabilities for FFRDC's. The committee directs the Department to ensure adequate funding this year for those FFRDCs engaging in studies and analyses for the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the services. The committee further directs the Department to provide Congress with a recommended funding ceiling for the UARCs for fiscal year 1996. The committee directs that no more than one third of the total funds for UARCs be released until the proposed ceiling is transmitted to Congress. [...]