President Trump’s new missile defense plan is misguided. It will drain money from Pentagon priorities, provoke aggressive Chinese and Russian countermeasures, and fail to restrain large-scale nuclear attacks.

Still, the plan announced on Thursday isn’t totally flawed. Trump’s pledge to improve the speed of military research and development efforts is welcome. As is Trump’s commitment to the next generation of nuclear weapon platforms. As Trump put it, “We can’t forget offense either, can we? We have the finest weapons in the world, and we’re ordering the finest weapons in the world.” These new programs will deter China, Russia, and other adversaries well into the 21st century. Democrats such as House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., entertain delusion and endanger America by rejecting these plans. That said, Trump’s new “space-based missile defense layer” system lacks strategic foundation and tactical sense.