A $1 Billion Statement

摘要

U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to beef up the nation's territorial missile shield could reassure U.S. allies who feel increasingly threatened by North Korea's bellicose behavior while blunting congressional critics who want to see more investment in missile defense. But the protective rationale for installing 14 new interceptors in Alaska, at a cost of some $1 billion, is not convincing, unless one believes North Korea will have the capability - and the inclination - to mount an attack involving a dozen or more nuclear-tipped ICBMs at the United States within the next decade. The current U.S. territorial shield, known as the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, includes 30 interceptors: 26 at Fort Greely, Alaska, and four at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The system is intended to defend against a limited, desperation strike by a so-called rogue state like North Korea.