Strategic offense vs strategic defense: going back for the future. Student report
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), started by President Reagan, was originally chartered to explore the key technolgies permitted by the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty so future Presidents and Congresses will have the technical options to start on development and deployment of a strategic defense system. This article establishes the fact and decisions to reduce current or future funding for strategic offensive nuclear weapons, prior to actual strategic defense system deployment, are premature and could seriously impact our ability to deter nuclear war. It also addresses SDI's impact on deterrence and uses historical examples to show it is too early to reduce funding for strategic offensive forces in anticipation of strategic defense system deployment. SDI technology needs time to mature and must not be pressured to provide a jury-rigged solution to our nuclear problems. While it is maturing, we must preserve our nuclear deterrent by continuing to upgrade and modernize our strategic offensive forces.
- Research Organization:
- Air Command and Staff Coll., Maxwell AFB, AL (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5550273
- Report Number(s):
- AD-A-166676/7/XAB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
450202 -- Explosions & Explosives-- Nuclear-- Weaponry-- (-1989)
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990100* -- Management
ARMS CONTROL
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
MILITARY STRATEGY
NATIONAL DEFENSE
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
TREATIES
WEAPONS