National Missile Defense

Abstract

Security and defense of the continental United States received much attention during the 2000 Presidential election campaign. One of the more controversial proposals for homeland defense is deployment of a National Missile Defense (NMD). Allies and adversaries alike are concerned that NMD could cause a shift in the balance of power and might lead to a renewed arms race. This paper explores the NMD issue to determine whether the program should be pursued and, if so, in what form. The paper begins by setting the strategic context in which NMD is being considered, followed by a review of the currently postulated threat. After a description of three proposed NMD configurations, three possible courses of action regarding NMD deployment are discussed. The courses of action are then assessed in terms of diplomatic and economic implications. In the final analysis, this author believes that a limited capability NMD system should be deployed. However, the United States will have to take a proactive diplomatic stance to both garner additional international support among allies and preclude a return to an arms race with emerging competitors similar to that experienced during the Cold War.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 25, 2001
Accession Number
ADA390552

Entities

People

  • Steve Peters

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Battle Management
  • Defense Systems
  • Early Warning Systems
  • Governments
  • Ground Based
  • Homeland Defense
  • Homeland Security
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Reconnaissance Satellites
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • Ussr
  • War Colleges
  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Readers

  • International Relations and Conflict Resolution
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Missile Defense Systems.