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Title: The Strategic Defense Initiative bibliography and reference guide

Book ·
OSTI ID:6332924

The ballistic missile defense debate, which has permeated strategic discussion in the United States for nearly three decades, received an impressive stimulus when President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation on the evening of March 23, 1983. In that address, dubbed the ''Star Wars'' speech by the media, the president asked the scientific community to pursue research and development of hardware and software that would enable the nation to switch from the deterrence doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) to a policy based on the unilateral capability to physically defend the country against ballistic missile attack. The editors have assembled approximately one thousand citations - including books, monographs, articles, and government documents - that reflect the full spectrum of thought on the issue. Seminal references have been abstracted and divided into three sections: technical parameters of the debate, arguments in favor of SDI, and arguments against SDI. Each section contains an essay that integrates and amplifies the information presented in the abstracted materials.

OSTI ID:
6332924
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English