Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense: an Overview of Major Programs and Issues of the Abm Debate Over the Past Forty-Five Years

Over the past forty-five years the United States has debated whether or not to deploy defenses against ballistic missile attack. In that time the United States grappled with a wide range of issues concerning the technical, strategic, political, and arms control merits of missile defense in the face of the Cold War, and now the post-Soviet era. The debate over ballistic missile defense within the United States is unprecedented in its scope and time span. Unlike various other U.S. weapons programs, the debate over anti-ballistic missile defense has a special quality to it. The ABM debate has seen a greater degree of participation from American society as a whole. It is interesting to note, that throughout this entire period of debate many of the core arguments used by advocates and opponents have remained the same. This thesis provides an overview of major U.S. ballistic missile defense programs and the various issues of the ABM debate since the end of the Second World War.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Defense and Strategic Studies

Year

1999

Author dc:creator

• Soukup, Jeritt D

Contributors dc:contributor

• William Van Cleave

• Defense and Security Studies

Statement dc:rights

• © Jeritt D Soukup

Repository record dc:identifier

https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/574

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-1575