Ballistic Missile Defense
Abstract
The proliferation of short-range ballistic missiles in the world today poses a direct, immediate threat to many of our allies and to some U.S. forces deployed abroad in defense of our national interests. Over time, the proliferation of longer range missiles will pose a greater threat to the U.S. itself. For these reasons, active defenses are playing a central and vital role in U.S. defense planning well into the next century. The resource-constrained environment of the nineties, together with the complex nature of the security challenges facing us, necessitate that we deploy the right capabilities at the right time for achieving the highest overall level of security for the United States. To do so we must consider the role of missile defense within the nation's broader national security strategy. Active defenses can never be considered in and of themselves a panacea for countering the prolfferation of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction. We have a broader strategy encompassing a full range of tools in a national "kit" of options. Our strategy has three different components: preventing and reducing the threat; deterring the threat; and defending against the threat.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 06, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA339224
Entities
Organizations
- Office Of The Under Secretary Of Defense