Missile Defense Likely Against China, Russia After All

choi

Paul Sonne, Pentagon Looks to Adjust Missile Defense Policy to Include Threats from Russia, China. Washington Post, Mar 2, 2018.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/w ... 65f59e95_story.html

Quote:

A review () is under way "departing from a previous strategy that focused nearly exclusively on rogue nations such as North Korea and Iran.  The new policy will still call for bolstered technology against rogue states, with a particular focus on weapons to intercept North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s missiles.

"The document remains in a draft form and could change before its tentative release in late March.

"Russia's thousands of missiles easily could overwhelm existing US missile defenses in the event of a full-scale war. Washington relies on the threat of its own vast nuclear arsenal to deter an attack from a global power.  As a result, the Pentagon isn't pursuing a shield against all missile threats from Russia and China. * * * Rather, according to one US official, the policy will more discretely look at ways the United States can better deal with burgeoning missile threats from Russia and China in regional ['regional' is the key] theaters such as Europe and Asia

"Military planners in Moscow see even limited American missile defense as a threat, Russian analysts say. The planners fear a scenario in which a US first strike takes out most of Russia's nuclear arsenal, allowing U.S. missiles defenses to eliminate any remaining rockets fired at the United States in response. The new weapons Putin unveiled Thursday [Mar 1], the Kremlin argues, simply assure the balance of power.

"Current US missile defenses focus on downing ballistic missiles that fly slower and at an arc. The United States possesses limited ability to counter cruise missiles, let alone hypersonic ones. Cruise missiles fly fast and low and maneuver like planes

My comment; This is the first time a news report says US has changed its stance and that missile defense will deal with Chinese and Russian missiles after all. Still in this report, the government reiterates the old/ current stance: "The Pentagon's chief spokeswoman, Dana W. White, emphasized in a briefing Thursday that US missile defenses aren't trained on Russia and remain focused on rogue nations. The American military already knew about the weapons Putin referenced and stands ready to defend the United States, she said.