Arms Race: The next generation

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00963402.1991.11459946· OSTI ID:5676648

Fenstermacher, D ^[1]

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1. Princeton Univ., NJ (USA)

The research program in nuclear directed-energy weapons, sometimes known as NDEWs, was first formalized in 1985, two years after Ronald Reagan's Star Wars speech. It grew to a $350 million program in fiscal 1987 and 1988 with rhetoric to match. Congress scaled back the programs to $330 million in 1989 and $220 million in 1990. Precise funding for fiscal 1991 is difficult to determine because nuclear directed-energy weapons are now part of the core program of the weapons laboratories, not a separate item under the Strategic Defense Initiative. The administration requested $191.1 million this year but according to Christopher Paine, defense aid to Sen. Edward Kennedy, the programs will only receive $90-100 million this year. As cuts have been made, the rhetoric has also cooled, but research and underground nuclear tests on a number of these concepts are continuing. Although this research is within the laboratories' core program and thus shielded from congressional oversight, Congress blessed it. 9 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5676648
• Journal Information: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; (USA), Vol. 47:2; ISSN 0096-5243
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
ARMS CONTROL
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
DIRECTED-ENERGY WEAPONS
SALT TALKS
PROLIFERATION
TREATIES
NATIONAL DEFENSE
WEAPONS
350200* - Arms Control- Proliferation- (1987-)
450500 - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense- Strategic Defense Initiative- (1990-)