The phrase "a defense system that" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing a specific type of defense system and what it does or its characteristics.
Example: "The military is developing a defense system that can intercept incoming missiles."
Alternatives: "a protective system that" or "a security system that".
Take John Connor, whose destiny is to lead the human resistance movement against the evil techno-empire of Skynet, a defense system that "became self-aware," we are told, and turned on its creators.
Even if the United States built a defense system that could identify and shoot down missiles (front page, April 26), our adversaries could work around it by delivering bombs by plane, boat or truck.
The interception of the Iranian-funded Fajr-5 rocket — and more than 400 other rockets — played a key role in the truce reached the following week, gave Israel bragging rights for sticking with a defense system that faced sharp domestic criticism, and is all but certain to redefine how the Jewish state and its adversaries fight in the future.
As I said before, I am not theologically against missile defense, but it has to be judged by what it really is -- a defense system that will always be, at best, a supplement to mutual assured destruction, which is neither out of date nor going away.
What kind of "realist" is it who is ready to spend $100 billion on a defense system that may not work against the least likely threat -- a rogue missile -- but won't spend $100 million on the most immediate threat: loose nukes spewing out of Russia to terrorists?
If every one of the currently planned national missile defense tests proved to be an unqualified success, we would be still stuck with a defense system that had not been realistically tested and would have no hope of performing successfully in a real-world attack.
In particular, it has been predicted that prokaryotic Argonaut protein (pAgo) is a key component of a distinct defense system that can be encoded by a stand-alone gene or within putative operons together with several nucleases [ 59].
He and Ms. Kawaguchi said they also favored proceeding on a program to develop a missile defense system that would shield Japan and other countries from missile attacks from North Korea or other countries.
WASHINGTON — President Bush and the Czech leader said Wednesday that they were close to an agreement on a plan for the United States to install an early warning radar system in the Czech Republic, a key component of a missile defense system that has drawn stiff opposition from Russia.
For me, the bottom line on this decision is this: because the emerging missile threat is real, we have an obligation to pursue a missile defense system that could enhance our security.
Mr. Daschle questioned whether a missile defense was technologically feasible and said, "A missile defense system that undermines our nation politically, economically and strategically -- without providing any real security -- is no defense at all".
