[retardedelk]

The U.S. has a defence system against a Russian nuclear attack. It is called a "massive and devastating coordinated first strike before they ever get a chance to nuke us".

A missile defence program is actually handy, not necessarily for the actual protective power it can provide, but for the rhetorical power it can provide for a President's adviser when the next Curtis Lemay demands that we attack them before then can attack us.