Agree with everything you've said.

Still, maybe 'put on hold' is too strong. Deployment should wait for a system that's ready, whose components have been fully tested and shown to work. Best, in my opinion, to deploy NMD a piece at a time as components become ready. And not call it NMD at all. Attempt no grand over-arching NMD scheme. Not all at once.

The Navy's SM-3 standard missile is a prime example. I would like to see Taiwan and Japan secure, and a similar system put in place around vulnerable portions of the United States, such as Hawaii and Alaska. That way, NMD is off to a good start, its first piece works, and it isn't so destabilizing.