House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., and HASC Ranking Member Mike Rogers, R-Ala., have called on the Department of Defense to come up with a strategy to meet the replenishment requirements for Stinger short range air defense missiles and advance the development of a follow-on SHORAD system for U.S. troops, allies and partners.

“Therefore, the committee strongly urges that the Department prioritize acceleration of a SHORAD modernization or replacement that will deliver a low-cost, exportable evolution of a system, within 36 months,” Smith and Rogers wrote in a March 18th letter to DOD.

The lawmakers made the call in light of recent events in Europe. They are also seeking insights on the matter as they work on the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

The letter was addressed to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Austin is a 2022 Wash100 Award winner and Milley is a four-time Wash100 awardee.