U.S. Missile Interceptor First in Missile Defense System

The U.S. Department of Defense revealed that a ground-based missile interceptor was first installed on Thursday in Alaska’s interior, Fort Greely, in preparation for possible missile attacks over the Pacific Ocean.

The Pentagon plans to install five additional interceptors by the end of the year and 10 more at Fort Greely by late 2005. Another four will be installed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Missile Defense (MD), designed to hit a target in the sky, is an essential part of U.S. President Bush’s national security policy. The Defense Department assured that since the interceptors will be closely linked to a network of satellites, radars, computers, and command centers, they would destroy incoming missiles following the tracking by a radar system.

Since the interceptors have not yet proven their reliability, critics argued the unreliable defense system would squander the budget. Amid continuing controversy over the reliability of the interceptors, a critic insisted that a North Korean force would never just wait for the moment when a missile interceptor is finally launched; instead, it would destroy the interceptor while it is still on the ground.

Jung-Ahn Kim credo@donga.com