The Washington Times

The intellectual glitterati scoffed when Ronald Reagan first proposed the idea of ballistic missile defense but it’s now a reality, thanks to the continued efforts of those who believed in the concept and would not let it die. Increasing threats of this kind from adversaries devoting significant resources to new ammunition and delivery systems make it more important now than it has been in some time. We’ve been waiting to see what President Donald Trump would do, what his legacy in this area would be and, with the release of his FY21 budget, we now know.

Mr. Trump’s budget proposes significant investments that, if adopted, will ensure the United States will be protected by a sophisticated, proven, and layered defense well into the future. Increased funding for proven defensive weapons like the Aegis Ashore and Standard Missile-3 IIA means they will continue to provide the best protection possible in the near-term while the Missile Defense Agency works on what comes next.

Over the last 20 years the MDA, by investing significant financial, technological and infrastructure resources, has developed the most sophisticated layered and successful ballistic missile defense capability in existence. But it’s not enough. The United States only has 44 ground-based interceptors with kill vehicles to take out incoming missiles in our arsenals based in Fort Greely, Alaska and at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

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