{"id":13184,"date":"2019-05-20T19:29:33","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T19:29:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/20\/congress-asks-how-the-air-force-will-pay-for-new-missile-warning-satellites\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:48:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:48:10","slug":"congress-asks-how-the-air-force-will-pay-for-new-missile-warning-satellites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/c2-comms\/satellites\/2019\/05\/20\/congress-asks-how-the-air-force-will-pay-for-new-missile-warning-satellites\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress asks how the Air Force will pay for new missile warning satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Congress is worried about a proposed massive budget increase to the Air Force\u2019s next generation missile warning satellite system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a report released May 20, the House Appropriations Committee expressed concern over the Air Force\u2019s $1.4 billion budget request for its Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Program for fiscal year 2020. That amount is more than double what Congress approved for fiscal 2019 and $459 million more than Air Force leaders expected to spend on the program a year ago. In response, the House Appropriations Committee recommended funding $1.2 billion for the program, about $202 million less than the Pentagon had asked for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared program will consist of five satellites and is expected to replace the Air Force\u2019s current early warning missile system, the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS). Those satellites provide early warnings of ballistic missile attacks on the United States, its deployed forces, or its allies, though the Air Force notes that the OPIR will have improved \u201cmissile warning capabilities that are more survivable against emerging threats.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t