The defense system that protects the United States from ballistic missile attacks now outpaces the threat from adversaries out to 2020, and the Defense Department is advancing the capability to stay ahead of the threat into the future, defense officials said on Capitol Hill yesterday.
Thomas H. Harvey III, acting assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities, and Missile Defense Agency Director Navy Vice Adm. James D. Syring testified before the House Armed Services Committee”s subcommittee on strategic forces, discussing fiscal year 2018 missile defense posture and priorities.
The department continues efforts to sustain and modernize homeland missile defense capabilities so the nation stays ahead of the threat while providing an effective, integrated and interoperable regional missile defense capability, Harvey said.
“The U.S. homeland is currently protected by the ground-based midcourse defense system — the GMD system. Improving the capacity, reliability and effectiveness of the GMD system is one of our highest priorities,” he added.