Missile Defense Deployment, Criticism Continue in Parallel

摘要

Even with five interceptors now in silos at Fort Greely, Alaska, critics of the U.S. national missile defense shield say the program is still worthless, and some predict it will ultimately lose congressional funding. The Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency (MDA) will declare the facility provisionally operational by the end of the year but opponents are quick to point out that the system has not been flight tested for almost two years and is still missing major elements, including upgraded ground- and sea-based radars, satellites capable of tracking missiles in mid flight and software capable of discriminating decoys from actual warheads.