Ballistic Missile Defence And Strategic Stability

Should the US deploy ballistic-missile defences? The arguments for and against are becoming increasingly polarised. This paper offers what is currently lacking in the debate: a quantitative analysis of how well defences would have to work to meet specific security objectives, and what level of defence might upset strategic stability.

As ballistic missile technology proliferates, and as ballistic missile defenses are deployed by both the Russian Federation and the United States, it is increasingly important for these two countries to seek ways to reap the benefits of systems that can protect their own national security interests against limited missile attacks from third countries without undermining the strategic balance that the two governments maintain to ensure stability. Regional Ballistic Missile Defense in the Context of Strategic Stability examines both the technical implications of planned missile defense deployments for Russian and U.S. strategic deterrents and the benefits and disadvantages of a range of options for cooperation on missile defense.

What is strategic stability and why is it important? This edited collection offers the most current authoritative survey of this topic, which is central to U.S. strategy in the field of nuclear weapons and great power relations. A variety of authors, leading experts in the field of strategic issues and regional studies, offer both theoretical and practical insights into the basic concepts associated with strategic stability, what implications these have for the United States as well as key regions such as the Middle East, and perspectives on strategic stability in Russia and China. Readers will develop a deeper and more developed understanding of this concent from this engaging and informative work.

As ballistic missile technology proliferates, and as ballistic missile defenses are deployed by both the Russian Federation and the United States, it is increasingly important for these two countries to seek ways to reap the benefits of systems that can protect their own national security interests against limited missile attacks from third countries without undermining the strategic balance that the two governments maintain to ensure stability. Regional Ballistic Missile Defense in the Context of Strategic Stability examines both the technical implications of planned missile defense deployments for Russian and U.S. strategic deterrents and the benefits and disadvantages of a range of options for cooperation on missile defense--Publisher's description

Ballistic missile defenses (BMD) have been an issue in U.S.-Soviet and U.S.-Russian arms control talks since the 1970s. During the Cold War, the nations sought to balance limits on offensive weapons and defensive weapons so that they could maintain ¿strategic stability,¿ which refers to the ability of each side to launch a retaliatory strike after absorbing a first strike by the other side. Contents of this report: (1) Intro.; (2) Strategic Stability and the Relationship Between Offensive and Defensive Forces; (3) BMD and the 1991 START Treaty: The Negotiating Framework; START Ratification; Resolving Competing Priorities; BMD Programs and Budgets; BMD in the 1980s, and 1990s; Current BMD Plans and Programs; (4) BMD Budgets Over Time.

Since World War II, the ever improving sophistication in missiles capabilities in terms of payload, range, accuracy etc. had led to an unprecedented and unending arms race and proliferation. The obvious and connatural unificationof ballistic missile and nuclear bomb shaped it as the most high profile weapon system that has dominated the worldpolitics and security paradigm so intricately. With the new perception of deterrence and threat, the warfare has taken a new dimension.Concurrently; Ballistic Missile Defence as a concept evolved during 1960s. However, the two superpowers deploying thousands of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) remained effective stability tool during Cold War and development of missile defences were restricted through the regime of arms control treaties as in the perception of the bipolar world, Anti Ballistic Missile Systems will weaken the stability stratagem anchored on policyof Mutual Assured Destruction. Nevertheless, development of BMD system continued and remained one of the most controversial issues in the world politics and international security paradigm. Ballistic missile defence, from its concept has grown manifold. Initially, missile defences have been put into operation centred on destroying the launch platform through ground based nuclear tipped ballistic missile system. With increased sophistication in missile technology, the challenge is thrown to intercept an incoming ballistic missile in its boost phase, mid course phase or in terminal phase. Notwithstanding, there are many technological constraints to arrive at a desired comprehensive shield to provide effective and efficient security. A debate followed world over on efficacy and viability of such a defensive shield as the technology is yet to be proven and that is prohibitively costly. The debate also brings forward the environmental issues, weaponisation of space and lethality of missile defence against its counter measures and issues of proliferation and arms control. Despite all such criticism and debates over its viability, the urgency towards evelopment and deployment world over is alarming. With the phenomenal technological sophistication and growth, missile defence has acquired the status of a frontier of the 21st century, impacting global strategic stability as well as arms control. This book is an attempt to study the ballistic missile defence concepts, systems, technologies and its growing influence as a revolutionary military system and a strategic political tool. This study posits various strategic issuesin context to implications of missile defence development and deployment.

The efforts of the United States to develop defences against ballistic missiles (the Strategic Defense Initiative) is one of the most hotly debated topics of our time. This authoritative book contributes to the debate by presenting th searching and wide-ranging views of twenty-six international experts on the technical, legal, political, and military aspects of space weapons. They address such questions as: What are the technological promises and problems of strategic defence? What effects will SDI have on the arms race or on deterring nuclear war? How do China, India, and Japan perceive SDI? What can be done to guard international stability? These papers, which express every range of opinion on SDI, from an unqualified approval to total scepticism, are prefaced by an overview by the editor of the volume.