Defense Primer: Ballistic Missile Defense
Abstract
The United States has been developing and deploying ballistic missile defenses (BMD) to defend against enemy missiles continuously since the late 1940s. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the United States deployed a limited nuclear-tipped BMD system to protect a portion of its U.S. land-based nuclear ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) force in order to preserve a strategic deterrent against a Soviet nuclear attack on the Homeland. That system became active in 1975 but shut down in 1976 because of concerns over cost and effectiveness. In the FY1975 budget, the Army began funding research into hit-to-kill or kinetic energy interceptors as an alternative - the type of interceptor technology dominates U.S. BMD systems today. In 1983, President Reagan announced an enhanced effort for BMD. Since the start of the Reagan initiative in 1985, BMD has been a key national security interest in Congress. It has appropriated well over $200 billion for a broad range of research and development programs and deployment of BMD systems here and abroad. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is charged with the mission to develop, test, and field an integrated, layered, BMD system (BMDS) to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends against all ranges of enemy hypersonic and ballistic missiles in all phases of flight. Current U.S. policy, however, is not directed at the strategic nuclear deterrent forces of Russia and China. The FY2020 budget request is $13.6 billion for missile defense, $9.4 billion of which is for MDA.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 29, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1170001
Entities
People
- Stephen M. Mccall
Organizations
- Library of Congress