Ballistic missile defense: concepts and history
The advent of the ballistic missile has reinforced the virtually permanent advantage for the offense, altering the historical axiom that a counterweapon or countertactic can be found for every new weapon or tactic. A growing discontent with the concept of mutually assured destruction (MAD) as a deterrent has led to new emphasis on defensive technologies in both the US and the Soviet Union. The author examines the offense-defense relationship in this context, and notes that the issues in the current debate over the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) do not differ from the feasibility and cost issues of the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) debates of the 1960s. A new issue is the need to deploy weapons in space in order for them to be effective.
- Research Organization:
- Inst. for Defense Analysis, Arlington, VA
- OSTI ID:
- 5231925
- Journal Information:
- Daedalus (Boston); (United States), Journal Name: Daedalus (Boston); (United States) Vol. 1; ISSN DAEDA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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