The U.S President Donald Trump has called for the development of a space-based missile defense program. It will be a part of the first comprehensive missile review in nearly a decade, the 2019 Missile Defense Review of the United States. On Thursday, Trump joined a number of his top generals at the Pentagon to deliver an address in support of his initiative. The U.S is looking to install detection systems in outer space as a means to counter new weapons being developed by top military rivals Russia and China, as well as missile powers Iran and North Korea.
Trump said, “Our goal is simple: to ensure that we can detect and destroy any missile launched against the United States anywhere, anytime”. He added, “I will accept nothing less for our nation than the most effective cutting edge missile defense systems”.
On Thursday, the 2019 Missile Defense Review published specifically identifies Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea as Current and Emerging Missile Threats to the American Homeland. Trump presented a number of new initiatives and strategies summarized in 6 points. The U.S Vice President Mike Pence also said, “Knows the American people believe that ‘America First’ begins with peace through strength”.
Trump address started with a promise to prioritize the defense of the American people above all else. He vowed to deploy 20 new ground-based interceptors at Fort Greely, Alaska, bringing the total number to 64. The president said, “We will shield every city in the United States, and we will never negotiate away our right to do that with these systems and additional radars”.
Trump also promised to develop new technology instead of simply investing in existing systems due to the world is changing and will change much faster. He said, “The U.S. will now adjust its posture to defend against all kinds of missile strikes, including cruise missiles and hypersonic”. The Republican leader presented the “space-based missile defense layer” in his fourth point. He said, “We will monitor and we will terminate missiles launched by hostile powers or those launched by other nations by mistake”.