The Trump administration has instructed the Pentagon to bolster homeland missile defenses as the threat from North Korea intensifies.
The Pentagon’s missile defense system has been plagued with problems, but the Trump administration is re-tasking funds to upgrade the current system.
That will include building a pair of $1 billion radar installations and deploying an additional 20 ICBM interceptors to the 44 that are already online in underground silos at Ft. Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
In addition, the Defense Department will take new steps to launch additional satellites to assist each interceptor’s “kill vehicle” to find and intercept incoming missiles high above the atmosphere.
In all, the administration is planning to spend an additional $10.2 billion on the existing system over the next five years after having spent $40 billion already.
Some experts say that the system is not proven and that more flight testing is needed before a rush to expand it. [source]
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