Was President Reagan Right On Missile Defense?

Reagan Vindicated: Missile Defense Works -- Max Boot, Commentary

The latest Gaza war is only a few days old, but already one conclusion can be drawn: missile defense works. This is only the latest vindication for the vision of Ronald Reagan who is emerging as a consensus pick for one of the all-time great U.S. presidents.

For it was Ronald Reagan who made missile defense a major priority for the U.S. and our allies. His 1983 speech on the subject was widely derided as “Star Wars” because he envisioned that some missile would be intercepted in space. For years critics claimed that it was impossible to intercept missiles in flight, or that at the very least it would be prohibitively expensive to do so. But now the U.S. West Coast is actually protected by a limited ballistic-missile defense system based primarily around satellites, sea-based Aegis and X-band radars, and Standard Missile-3 interceptors. We don’t know how the system would work in combat but it has been vindicated in testing.

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My Comment: It is still too early to determine how successful Iron dome has been in stopping missile fire from Gaza .... but it appears that this form of missile defense can work. As to President Reagan's speech on missile defense .... he was referring to ballistic missile defense .... the missiles being used by Hamas are nowhere near the capability of ballistic missiles, and as such are easier to shoot down.

U.S. Missile Defense Agency Conducts Historic Tests With Five Targets

Army Bests Navy In Missile Intercept Test -- Navy Times

The final score: Army 3; Navy 1.

That’s the number of missiles each service shot down in the largest missile shield test ever, a joint exercise held in the western Pacific on Oct. 24. The Army shot down two ballistic missiles and one cruise missile at Kwajalein Atoll.

In contrast, the destroyer Fitzgerald engaged a cruise missile but missed the ballistic one. The reasons for the miss are unclear, but the Missile Defense Agency chalked up the whole exercise as a success.

Read more ....

More News On Recent Missile Defense Test

U.S. missile defense systems hit four of five targets in largest test in history...that cost taxpayers $188MILLION -- Daily Mail
Big U.S. missile defense test a success -- UPI
Missile Defense Agency conducts historic tests with five targets intercepted from land, sea and air -- al.com
Missile Defense Agency says it completed largest test in history -- L.A. Times
US Hits 4 Targets in Pacific Missile Defense Test -- AP
U.S. zaps four out of five targets in missile defense test -- Reuters
Ballistic Missile Defense System engages 5 targets simultaneously during largest missile defense flight test in history -- Dvids
US military shoots down 4 of 5 targets launched in Pacific missile defense test -- Washington Post/AP
U.S. Missile Defense: The Most Challenging Test Yet -- Heritage Foundation
Multiple-engagement Missile Defense Test is Mostly Successful -- Space News
Lockheed integrates three missile systems -- UPI
Patriot, SM-2 engage ballistic and cruise missile targets in sophisticated test scenario -- Sacramento Bee/Raytheon

U.S. Missile Defense Agency Conducts Historic Tests With Five Targets

Army Bests Navy In Missile Intercept Test -- Navy Times

The final score: Army 3; Navy 1.

That’s the number of missiles each service shot down in the largest missile shield test ever, a joint exercise held in the western Pacific on Oct. 24. The Army shot down two ballistic missiles and one cruise missile at Kwajalein Atoll.

In contrast, the destroyer Fitzgerald engaged a cruise missile but missed the ballistic one. The reasons for the miss are unclear, but the Missile Defense Agency chalked up the whole exercise as a success.

Read more ....

More News On Recent Missile Defense Test

U.S. missile defense systems hit four of five targets in largest test in history...that cost taxpayers $188MILLION -- Daily Mail
Big U.S. missile defense test a success -- UPI
Missile Defense Agency conducts historic tests with five targets intercepted from land, sea and air -- al.com
Missile Defense Agency says it completed largest test in history -- L.A. Times
US Hits 4 Targets in Pacific Missile Defense Test -- AP
U.S. zaps four out of five targets in missile defense test -- Reuters
Ballistic Missile Defense System engages 5 targets simultaneously during largest missile defense flight test in history -- Dvids
US military shoots down 4 of 5 targets launched in Pacific missile defense test -- Washington Post/AP
U.S. Missile Defense: The Most Challenging Test Yet -- Heritage Foundation
Multiple-engagement Missile Defense Test is Mostly Successful -- Space News
Lockheed integrates three missile systems -- UPI
Patriot, SM-2 engage ballistic and cruise missile targets in sophisticated test scenario -- Sacramento Bee/Raytheon

U.S. Missile Defense Agency Conducts Historic Tests With Five Targets

Army Bests Navy In Missile Intercept Test -- Navy Times

The final score: Army 3; Navy 1.

That’s the number of missiles each service shot down in the largest missile shield test ever, a joint exercise held in the western Pacific on Oct. 24. The Army shot down two ballistic missiles and one cruise missile at Kwajalein Atoll.

In contrast, the destroyer Fitzgerald engaged a cruise missile but missed the ballistic one. The reasons for the miss are unclear, but the Missile Defense Agency chalked up the whole exercise as a success.

Read more ....

More News On Recent Missile Defense Test

U.S. missile defense systems hit four of five targets in largest test in history...that cost taxpayers $188MILLION -- Daily Mail
Big U.S. missile defense test a success -- UPI
Missile Defense Agency conducts historic tests with five targets intercepted from land, sea and air -- al.com
Missile Defense Agency says it completed largest test in history -- L.A. Times
US Hits 4 Targets in Pacific Missile Defense Test -- AP
U.S. zaps four out of five targets in missile defense test -- Reuters
Ballistic Missile Defense System engages 5 targets simultaneously during largest missile defense flight test in history -- Dvids
US military shoots down 4 of 5 targets launched in Pacific missile defense test -- Washington Post/AP
U.S. Missile Defense: The Most Challenging Test Yet -- Heritage Foundation
Multiple-engagement Missile Defense Test is Mostly Successful -- Space News
Lockheed integrates three missile systems -- UPI
Patriot, SM-2 engage ballistic and cruise missile targets in sophisticated test scenario -- Sacramento Bee/Raytheon

The Race To Build A Missile Shield In The Persian Gulf Against Iranian Attack

U.S. And Gulf Allies Pursue A Missile Shield Against Iranian Attack -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — The United States and its Arab allies are knitting together a regional missile defense system across the Persian Gulf to protect cities, oil refineries, pipelines and military bases from an Iranian attack, according to government officials and public documents.

It is an enterprise that is meant to send a pointed message to Tehran, and that becomes more urgent as tensions with Iran rise. But it will require partner nations in the gulf to put aside rivalries, share information and coordinate their individual arsenals of interceptor missiles to create a defensive shield encompassing all the regional allies.

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My Comment: A good summary from the New York Times on how a missile defense system and network is quickly being assembled in the Persian Gulf.