Under Trump, US will build ballistic missile defence system: Alexander Gray

A Donald Trump administration will build a comprehensive ballistic missile defence system with emphasis on space-based early warning and missile tracking technologies in view of China's advancements, a defence advisor of the Republican candidate has said.

"Under a Trump Administration, the United States will build a comprehensive ballistic missile defence system with a heavy emphasis on space-based early warning and missile tracking technologies," Alexander Gray,senior defence advisor to Trump, said in a memorandum to the Trump Campaign.

The memo was released to the press, as Trump addressed an election rally in Colorado, which is home to the air force space command.

"The Trump plan to rebuild our military is a truly national effort, and Colorado will be asked to play its traditional role as a leading contributor to American national security," Gray said.

"Much of our nation's missile defence and early-warning efforts will be led directly from Colorado-based Air Force Space Command, providing critical know-how to what will be a truly revolutionary investment in defending the American homeland from the growing threat of ballistic missile proliferation by rogue regimes like Iran and North Korea," Gray wrote.

Among other things, Trump's plan provides Air Force with a significant increase in its inventory of fighter aircraft, building toward the 1,200 modern aircraft that independent analysis indicates it is necessary in an increasingly dangerous world, the memo said.

"He has also pledged to invest heavily in maintaining American predominance in outer space by properly resourcing our Air Force's Space Command, headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base and with critical units at Buckley Air Force Base," said the memo, which was welcomed by top lawmaker from Colorado, Doug Lamborn.

"Donald Trump has pledged to build a comprehensive ballistic missile defence system with a heavy focus on space-based early warning and missile detection of the type pioneered by Air Force Space Command in Colorado," Lamborn said.

The memo alleged that the Obama Administration has chosen to neglect US military's very real needs.

As a result, competitors and potential adversaries around the world are investing heavily in their own capabilities, it said.

"China has tested anti-satellite weapons capable of targeting the US military's satellites in orbit while experimenting with hypersonic weapons that could reach the United States homeland in minutes and overwhelm existing missile defence systems," Gray said.

"Russia and Iran are expanding their military space programmes, and even North Korea is pledging to put a satellite into space while marching toward an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of threatening the US West Coast with a nuclear device," the memo said.