OPINION:
According to Phil Jasper, defense experts agree that aerial threats to the U.S. are growing (“Trump’s ’Golden Dome’ for America: Closer than you think,” Web, March 24). I have no argument with that assumption, but the prediction that America will have a Golden Dome of protection by 2030 is a pie-in-the-sky fantasy.
Being achievement oriented, scientists and engineers will inevitably give optimistic predictions of how quickly new capabilities can be developed. Often overlooked in such predictions is the difficulty of incorporating the necessary political and financial bodies.
When President Reagan introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative, the panels reviewing the concept quickly recognized the importance of incorporating space-based interceptors into any defensive architecture. Work was initiated on such systems, but successive administrations did not offer sufficient support to overcome congressional opposition — so more than 40 years, later we still rely on ground and sea-based interceptors for missile defense.
The Golden Dome envisaged by defense enthusiasts will inevitably have to incorporate such assets, and this will require more than the five years left before 2030.
We live in an increasingly vulnerable world environment, so the security offered by the concept of a Golden Dome is attractive. However, it is equally important to recognize that the deployment of such a defensive system will extend at least over a further two or three presidential terms. Remember this in future elections if you wish to live in and hand down to your descendants a more secure future.
STANLEY ORMAN
Rockville, Maryland
Please read our comment policy before commenting.