America’s missile defense systems are in dire need of operational upgrades as “threats from foreign adversaries” grow more dire, a government watchdog found.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has repeatedly failed to upgrade its radar and missile interceptor systems, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. The agency’s failures have left America’s missile defense system with less fielded capability than planned, leaving the country vulnerable to “missile threats from foreign adversaries,” such as China, Iran, and North Korea. Supply-line issues and a developmental backlog have prevented the Pentagon’s top missile defense systems from receiving critical updates, the report found.
The findings are a warning bell for the Biden administration as it faces down a range of threats from increasingly hostile nations like North Korea and Iran. The country’s missile defense systems are the primary vehicle for destroying an incoming payload before it hits the country. The Missile Defense Agency’s