Mike Levin: “If it is $87 million, despite the $450 million which the Secretary of Energy announced, that $87 million is not provided…”

“If it is $87 million, despite the $450 million which the Secretary of Energy announced, that $87 million is not provided for in this authorization bill. Low Altitude Air Defense of North America NORAD is leading the development and employment of capabilities for the air defense of North America. Given the proliferation of advanced technologies and improvised delivery platforms operated by terrorist groups and others, on 13 June 2002 the Joint Requirements Oversight Council directed NORAD to develop the ``Low Altitude Air Threat Defense of North America Capstone Requirements Document.'' This critical homeland defense effort addresses the increasing gap between the growing danger from low altitude, low observable threats and NORAD's current air defense capabilities. Such threats include cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, crop dusters, radio controlled low observable aircraft and ultra-lights. Limited capabilities exist for fusing surveillance information and the effective engagement and elimination of these increasingly advanced threats launched from air, land or sea. Emerging technologies should be examined to enable NORAD to detect, identify, track, engage and assess these threats.”