For Immediate Release October 15, 2012

Contact:  Leslie K. Paige 202-467-5334 Luke Gelber 202-467-5318

CCAGW Launches Microsite on Wasteful Missile Program

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) launched the microsite “Misguided Missile” to highlight the failings of the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), funded by the United States, Germany, and Italy, which has been plagued with cost overruns of nearly $2 billion and is 10 years behind schedule. The microsite features an interactive timeline of MEADS’ troubled development, which has already cost taxpayers billions despite the fact that it will never be used by its funders’ armed forces. Several senators, including John McCain (R-Ariz.) have been highly critical of the program.

MEADS is meant to provide the ability to counter low and medium-altitude tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other airborne weapons. The U.S. would use MEADS to replace the MIM-104 Patriot missile system.

A March 9, 2010 Washington Post report quoted an internal U.S. Army memo asserting that the program “will not meet U.S. requirements or address the current and emerging threat without extensive and costly modifications.” A March 2011 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report recommended terminating MEADS in favor of continuing production of the Patriot. CBO cited an internal Army memo that urged “harvesting MEADS technologies and improving the Patriot program it was designed to replace.” Further, a confidential DOD report to Congress obtained this year by Citizens Against Government Waste concludes that the U.S. can withdraw from its contract without committing additional money or paying termination fees.

Although the U.S. has already spent $1.9 billion on the initial design and development phase, the program still requires an additional $2.8 billion just to complete this stage of the project, and procurement costs were estimated at $13.7 billion. On July 31, 2012, the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee included $380 million for the program in its version of the fiscal year 2013 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill. This meant that MEADS was an earmark, since the three other committees of jurisdiction rejected the program. The September 2012 continuing resolution set to fund the federal government through March 27, 2013 included six months’ worth of funding for MEADS. Citizens Against Government Waste named Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) its August 2012 Porkers of the Month for funding MEADS.

“Over the last calendar year it has become clear that the best course of action for the United States would be to withdraw from MEADS,” said CCAGW President Tom Schatz. “We urge all concerned taxpayers to visit MisguidedMissile.org, where they can learn more about this troubled program and tell their elected representatives to stop wasting money on a system that will never be used to protect our country or our troops.”

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.