The Trump administration began a review of US missile defence capabilities in 2017, saying the evaluation, the first of its kind since 2010, was aimed at countering alleged North Korean and Iranian threats, as well as the advanced strategic missile capabilities being developed by Russia and China.
Speaking at the Pentagon on Thursday, President Donald Trump called on the US military to significantly expand its missile defence capabilities. The US' goal was “simple”, Trump said, and included gaining the ability to “detect and destroy” any incoming missile, whether ballistic, cruise or hypersonic.
“We gathered together to outline the steps that we must take to upgrade and modernise America's missile defence…In a time of rapidly evolving threats, we must be certain that our defensive capabilities are unrivalled and unmatched anywhere in the world,” Trump said.
Trump said the updated missile defence strategy was a direct response to “foreign adversaries, competitors and rogue regimes” and their attempts to build “bigger and stronger missile arsenals” capable of reaching targets in the US.
“I will accept nothing less for our nation than the most effective, cutting edge missile defence systems. We have the best anywhere in the world; it's not even close,” Trump stressed.
Major Change to US Missile Defence Strategy
The president outlined six major changes in Washington's missile defence policy, including the…
