Can U.S. Defenses Cope With North Korea’s Missiles? (From Forbes)

Recent North Korean threats to launch nuclear attacks against the United States will undoubtedly renew interest in U.S. missile-defense efforts. Washington has spent about $170 billion on such defenses since Ronald Reagan enunciated the need for a “strategic defense initiative” 30 years ago. Today, the Pentagon has sufficient tracking and interception capability to cope with North Korea’s fledgling nuclear force. Whether that remains true in the future will depend on the funding available to produce and upgrade systems such as the Navy’s sea-based Aegis combat system and the Army’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense. I have written a commentary for Forbes on America’s missile-defense program that you can read here.