Defense News:
On Feb. 11, 2018, The New York Times editorial board published an article assailing the “dangerous illusion of missile defense.” In summary, the piece asserted that the recent failure of a missile defense test illustrates shortcomings in the system
- U.S. President Donald Trump is overstating the effectiveness of existing and proposed capabilities.
- Rushing missile defenses, to fielding without realistic testing, to perfection has resulted in a system that is not foolproof.
- North Korea has demonstrated the ability to reach the U.S. mainland.
- While we need missile defenses, sanctions and nonproliferation enforcement are the real way to control North Korea’s ambitions
The “dangerous illusion” referenced in the title is apparently excessive faith and investment in the missile defense system attributed to the Trump administration. To counter that illusion, the authors imply there should be less investment, stating that there are “real questions about whether the program is sustainable.” However, testing to perfection prior to fielding is an approach that would guarantee that we lag far behind emerging offensive threats…
