America's Provocative Weakness: the U.S. Policy of Vulnerability to Ballistic Missile Attack

Ballistic missile attack presents one of the most dangerous and troubling threats to the United States' national security today. For many nations that may wish to threaten the United States, ballistic missiles provide an affordable, readily accessible, and reliable delivery system for payloads ranging from conventional explosives to weapons of mass destruction. The most attractive element of ballistic missiles is the fact that the United States has no defenses against ballistic missile attack. This thesis offers an analysis of why, after over fifty years of work on ballistic missile defense, the United States is still without any deployed missile defenses today. It will examine the theories and policies that have led to America's continued vulnerability to ballistic missile attack, and continue to shape the public discourse about missile defense today. Finally, it will examine the United States' current missile defense policy, analyze the policy's potential strengths and weaknesses, and identify possible alternatives to the current administration's missile defense policy.

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

2003

Author dc:creator

• Olderog, Chrisopher A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• William Van Cleave

• Defense and Security Studies

Statement dc:rights

• © Chrisopher A Olderog

Repository record dc:identifier

https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/707

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-1708