Missile Defense: Now More than Ever!

George C. Landrith

The United States recently had another successful missile defense test in which a simulated North Korean ballistic missile was intercepted and destroyed. This was the sixth successful intercept in nine tests. It has been more than two years since there have been any significant testing difficulties. At that time, the media covered the test results with great intensity and those who would trust our security and safety to the “good intentions” of rogue nations argued against missile defense. I wonder why six successful tests are not worthy of the same coverage and attention. But I digress.

The real issue is simple -- we live in a dangerous world and we must either wisely decide to protect ourselves or foolishly place our hope in the “goodwill” of madmen like Kim Jong-il and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Not that they represent the only risks, but North Korea and Iran have both been pursuing nuclear capabilities and missile technology and they both are led by unstable extremists who mean harm to their neighbors and to America and its allies.

The choice is clear -- protect ourselves by making their missile threats obsolete or hope that they are lying when they say they would like to destroy America and their neighbors.
?Perhaps the oddest thing of all is that there are still missile defense nay-sayers who say we can’t shoot down missiles or that if we could, it wouldn’t be worth the effort. However, the facts prove these nay-sayers simply have their heads in the sand.

First, there have been six successful missile defense tests proving the technology’s capability. In the most recent test, a simulated North Korean ballistic missile was fired from Kodiak, Alaska and the interceptor rocket was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The exercise tested and evaluated our missile defense system, including the newly upgraded Early Warning Radar, the interceptor missile’s rocket motor system and the interceptor’s super high-tech kill vehicle.

These tests are no easy feats. A complex system of cutting-edge radar detects the launch of an offensive ballistic missile thousands of miles away. Then an interceptor missile is launched to destroy the ballistic missile. The interceptor first locates and pursues the missile. Then the interceptor distinguishes the missile from decoys. Finally, at a closing speed in excess of 15,000 miles per hour (20 times the speed of sound), the kill-vehicle slams into the missile, destroying it in a “body-to-body” collision. No explosives are used. The ballistic missile is essentially vaporized as a result of the collision. Six tests have been successful. Why do some nay-sayers still say it cannot be done?

Second, to determine whether having a defense against incoming ballistic missiles is worthwhile, one only need reflect on the horrific losses imposed by four airplanes on September 11, 2001. A missile attack would be many, many times more devastating. Without even attempting to put a price on the lives lost on September 11, the economic costs alone have exceeded hundreds of billions of dollars. Now multiply those costs and lost lives by 10 or even 100 for a missile attack. It becomes clear that missile defense is worth the effort.

The Administration is planning to place our newly upgraded super-advanced radar and a missile interceptor launch site in Central Europe to defend against a possible missile attack from Iran. Many of our allies in Europe are eager to see this happen as it would protect them too. France’s new president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has said that Europe must be prepared to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions at all costs. America’s missile defense technology is one way to accomplish this.

The good news is that the technology works. Today, America has the ability to protect herself against missile attacks. We need to deploy this technology more fully so that we are protected from every possible strike-point. And we need to continue to develop newer and even better defensive capabilities. But thanks to the steadfastness of the President and the Pentagon and the brilliant scientists and engineers that have developed this stunning technology, America is safer than it was 5 years ago -- even though the threat is greater than ever.

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Mr. Landrith is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was Business Editor of the Virginia Journal of Law and Politics. He had a successful law practice in business and litigation. In 1994 and 1996, Mr. Landrith was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's Fifth Congressional District. He served on the Albemarle County School Board. Mr. Landrith is an adjunct professor at the George Mason School of Law. He is recognized as an authority on constitutional law and jurisprudence, federalism, global warming, and property rights.

george@ff.org