Early missile defense deployment unlikely

As congressional Republicans prepare to force a confrontation with the White House that could make national missile defense an issue in the fall congressional elections, the director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization said Wednesday there is little hope of accelerating the goal of deployment by 2003.

In accepting a three-year program to develop a national defense system that could be deployable three years later "we have bought into a high-risk schedule," Air Force Lt. Gen. Lester Lyles said.

"In all honesty, I don't think we can accelerate the first three years of that program," Lyles told a defense writers breakfast.

Adding money to the program might influence the second three- year deployment stage if the threat in 2000 warrants fielding a national defense, he said.

But, Lyles added, "2003 is the date that we would be marking towards, and we think that is probably the best we could do, based on what we know today. ... That's a pretty hefty schedule to adhere to."

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., is expected to make another attempt at breaking a filibuster over legislation to mandate a national defense as soon as possible. And House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., has said he will bring up a different proposal to make deployment of a national missile defense a firm commitment.