OPINION:
“Importance of building a homeland missile defense against all adversaries” (web, Dec. 18) reminds readers that even 40 years after a comprehensive missile defense was first proposed, we still lack it.
Writer Robert Joseph provides an accurate resume of successive presidential administrations that have modified the original concept of President Ronald Reagan in 1983 to develop a defense capable of defending the U.S. and deployed troops from ballistic missiles.
Soon after work started on the program, scientists and engineers recognized that space-based interceptors would be an essential component for an effective system, but were overruled by political concern about weaponizing space.
Despite the criticism originally directed at the proposal, the limited systems now available performed magnificently in protecting Israel against the significant October attacks by Iran. The success was due mainly to Israel’s independent development of a truly integrated defense, one that works in conjunction with the high-altitude interceptors on U.S. ships. Yet at the time, no commentators gave any credit to Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative.
As Mr. Joseph points out, U.S. adversaries have worked assiduously to improve their capabilities such that the full defensive system envisaged by Reagan over 40 years ago is needed now. Even if it is approved and funded early, it will take about a decade to reach deployment.
Further delay is unacceptable. Hopefully someone in the incoming administration is paying attention.
STANLEY ORMAN
Rockville, Maryland
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