Levin disagreed about its deterrence value. I don't think scarecrows scare birds. I haven't seen that work very well even with birds. Many experts doubt a national missile-defense system will work. Further trials have been repeatedly delayed.
Advocates counter that missile defenses can be built given enough money and resolve.
We should have a system which is operationally effective. You should know the cost. Levin said he would try to deny any requests for money to begin deploying a system that was not sufficiently tested, or for missile defense tests banned by the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which prohibits Moscow and Washington from building national missile shields. Rumsfeld on Thursday said the administration had concluded that tests that might violate the treaty would be necessary. Levin said such tests should not be conducted before Russia agrees to rewrite the ABM Treaty to allow limited national missile defenses, or negotiates an arrangement with the United States that preserves the treaty's goals.