West Coast defenses would likely include Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missiles, similar to those deployed in South Korea to protect against a potential North Korean attack. Congressman Mike Rogers, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee and chairs the Strategic Forces Subcommittee which oversees missile defense, said the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), was aiming to install extra defenses at West Coast sites. Congressman Rogers did not reveal the exact locations the agency is considering but said several sites are “competing” for the missile defense installations. In July, the United States tested THAAD missile defenses and shot down a simulated, incoming intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). The successful test adds to the credibility of the US military’s missile defense program, which has come under intense scrutiny in recent years due in part to test delays and failures.

Source: bd News24 December 03, 2017 04:30 UTC