When it comes to national security, eight years of former President Barack Obama’s weak diplomacy with hostile regimes has made America and our allies less safe.

The world faces ever more hostile threats from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. For example, Iran is more dangerous than ever. They continue to develop ballistic missiles, some with a reported range of more than a 1200-miles. And we also face increasing hostility from North Korea. Dictator Kim Jong Un, whom Senator John McCain (R-AZ) recently labeled a “crazy fat kid,” seems even more determined to provoke America and our allies. He’s launched four ballistic missiles into the sea. Three of them landed in waters controlled by Japan.

As these rogue nation’s missiles become more accurate they pose a greater threat to the U.S. and our allies and interests in Europe. Diplomacy, U.N. resolutions and sanctions alone will not stop them.

President Obama’s Troubling Legacy

The establishment media are still blaming Hillary Clinton’s defeat on Russia. They seem uninterested in how President Obama opened the door for Russia’s deadly actions in the Ukraine and Syria. Their actions have put all Europe on high alert.

During a recent trip to Poland, I met with Polish resistors and Jewish concentration camp survivors who shared harrowing stories of incredible sacrifice and bravery while facing evil. They, along with government leaders, wanted to take the temperature of U.S.-Polish relations and find new ways to strengthen strategic ties to protect themselves from an increasingly hostile Russia. With a proposed more than $50 billion increase in defense spending, I assured them that President Donald Trump is committed to investing in keeping Russia under control. But it will take a collaborative effort with our European allies to ensure success.

During President Obama’s tenure, the Pentagon shifted focus on European missile defense by stopping the deployment of an advanced radar in the Czech Republic and ground-based ballistic missile interceptors in Poland. Instead, the Pentagon focused on the so-called European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA). This involves placing land-based interceptor missiles in Romania, Poland, and at sea, using the highly capable and proven Standard Missile-3 (SM-3).

Time for Robust Defensive Measures

While EPAA’s policies advance European missile defense, it’s not enough. We can’t stop there, especially in today’s more and more hostile world. Despite Russia’s false claims, the EPAA is designed to protect from threats from countries such as Iran and North Korea. It’s important the Trump Administration continue and strengthen the efforts of EPAA. 

Defense Secretary James Mattis has rightly called for our NATO allies to also boost their defense spending and prioritize missile defense. The U.S. cannot support these efforts alone.

While missile defense was not a priority of the Obama administration, these global threats are real and evolving rapidly. It is time for robust defensive measures.

Our Missile Defense Agency has spent decades of countless man hours and billions of dollars improving the SM-3 and existing ground-based interceptors. These are now the most accurate missiles on earth. They can swiftly take out missiles from enemies while still in flight.

The new Defense budget must support and expand this accurate missile technology. America should continue to improve what we already have. For instance, we should upgrade these missiles’ hit-to-kill (or kill vehicle) technology. Such technology uses kinetic energy from a direct hit to destroy the incoming target vehicle. This is extraordinary technology that’s come with a lot of lessons learned. Continuing down this path, America can work with our European allies to ensure our continued safety on the fastest possible timeline.

An Opportunity to Make America Safe

The proliferation of ballistic missiles and ways to deliver them threatens America’s largest cities, critical infrastructures, and our military forces.  We must ensure our nation is fully prepared for these threats. We must dedicate the needed resources to improve upon the successes of current kill vehicle technology. 

The Pentagon faces many battles over funding priorities. We must protect ourselves from the near-term missile threats while being prudent with taxpayer money. By supporting and smartly expanding our missile defense technology, Congress and the Trump administration have the opportunity to finally make America safe again.

Ken Blackwell is a Senior Fellow at the American Civil Rights Union and the Family Research Council. He was a senior Domestic Policy Advisor to the Trump Transition Team.