Do ICBMs Have a Future

Abstract

As the US military and civilian leaders debate the future of deterrence and nuclear deterrence, the status of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) comes to the fore. This study specifically seeks to answer the question: Will ICBMs continue to play a vital role in nuclear deterrence? Many factors heavily influence that future. This study evaluates some of the unique capabilities of the ICBM, both quantitative and qualitative, and weighs those against three criticisms of the ICBM. Additionally, it presents a discussion outlining possible replacement options to fill the ICBM role in nuclear deterrence. Finally, three potential adversarial categories, peer/near-peer, rogue states, and terror organizations, provide the structure for the evaluation and analysis of the evidence.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2015
Accession Number
AD1015806

Entities

People

  • Robert W. Hebert

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Anti-Ballistic Missiles
  • Arms Control Treaties
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Base Closures
  • Employment
  • Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • International Relations
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Warheads
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Strategic Weapons
  • Treaties
  • War Colleges
  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Readers

  • Missile Defense Systems.
  • Strategic Security Studies