I read an article in Monday's Anchorage Daily News about Defense Secretary Jim Mattis stopping in Alaska to both fuel his jet en route to negotiations with China and to tour the Fort Greely missile defense system base. The article also said that the Pentagon budget will increase the number of interceptors at Fort Greely from 44 to 64, and that all 20 new missiles will be located there. Twenty additional high-altitude defense missiles are located in California.
There are a great many who question the accuracy of the interceptors, as years of tests have proven them to be incomplete against all potential threats. In a perfect world, a missile defense system would be accurate 100 percent of the time and no missiles could penetrate our high-altitude defenses. In the truest sense of a perfect world, we would not be facing these decisions, and nuclear weapons would be a thing of the past.
But the world is not perfect. And although our high-altitude missile defenses as they currently stand, are imperfect, I am of the mind that if the system is even 30 percent accurate, if 10 missiles — God forbid — were launched at our West Coast, at least three of our major cities, defense sites and millions of lives would be saved.
Let us not forget that this system is not only one of defense, but — just as important — serves as a powerful deterrent to our enemies. As was said by one of the great thinkers and writers of the 20th century, Gilbert K. Chesterton, "defensible war is a war of self-defense."
— Denise Trutanic
Anchorage
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.