{"id":{"repo_id":"mo-state","oai_identifier":"oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-2376"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mo-state/oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-2376","repository":{"repo_id":"mo-state","name":"Missouri State University","base_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Creating an Integrated Ballistic Missile Defense System for the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries","abstract":"The purpose of this thesis is to determine the challenges and importance of creating an integrated missile defense system for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries. With its ballistic missiles, Iran is capable of targeting, major American military installations in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman. Vital oil refineries, ports, terminals and shipping lanes in the region are also within range of Iran's missiles, along with every major population center. Creating an integrated ballistic missile defense (BMD) system for the GCC would effectively negate this threat. Many of the elements needed for such a system, including BMD radars and interceptor systems, have already been sold to GCC nations and are currently operational. By integrating these systems and creating an overarching command structure, the BMD capabilities for all of the GCC would be strengthened. This integrated system would increase deterrence against a ballistic missile attack, thus allowing the U.S. to draw down some of its forces in the region and reduce its own defense spending. This research demonstrates that it is possible to create an integrated BMD system for the GCC countries and that it would be beneficial to the U.S. It also shows, however, that distrust among the GCC countries would make such an arrangement difficult to establish and sustain.","abstract_html":"The purpose of this thesis is to determine the challenges and importance of creating an integrated missile defense system for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries. With its ballistic missiles, Iran is capable of targeting, major American military installations in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman. Vital oil refineries, ports, terminals and shipping lanes in the region are also within range of Iran's missiles, along with every major population center. Creating an integrated ballistic missile defense (BMD) system for the GCC would effectively negate this threat. Many of the elements needed for such a system, including BMD radars and interceptor systems, have already been sold to GCC nations and are currently operational. By integrating these systems and creating an overarching command structure, the BMD capabilities for all of the GCC would be strengthened. This integrated system would increase deterrence against a ballistic missile attack, thus allowing the U.S. to draw down some of its forces in the region and reduce its own defense spending. This research demonstrates that it is possible to create an integrated BMD system for the GCC countries and that it would be beneficial to the U.S. It also shows, however, that distrust among the GCC countries would make such an arrangement difficult to establish and sustain.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kortsha, Nicholas Joseph"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Defense and Strategic Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Andrei Shoumikhin"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:16:23Z","subjects":["ballistic missile defense","international relations","deterrence","Iran","Gulf Cooperation Council","Defense and Security Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":["© Nicholas Joseph Kortsha"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1375","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Andrei Shoumikhin"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Kortsha, Nicholas Joseph"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Defense and Strategic Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["ballistic missile defense","international relations","deterrence","Iran","Gulf Cooperation Council","Defense and Security Studies"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© Nicholas Joseph Kortsha"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1375"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this thesis is to determine the challenges and importance of creating an integrated missile defense system for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries. With its ballistic missiles, Iran is capable of targeting, major American military installations in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman. Vital oil refineries, ports, terminals and shipping lanes in the region are also within range of Iran's missiles, along with every major population center. Creating an integrated ballistic missile defense (BMD) system for the GCC would effectively negate this threat. Many of the elements needed for such a system, including BMD radars and interceptor systems, have already been sold to GCC nations and are currently operational. By integrating these systems and creating an overarching command structure, the BMD capabilities for all of the GCC would be strengthened. This integrated system would increase deterrence against a ballistic missile attack, thus allowing the U.S. to draw down some of its forces in the region and reduce its own defense spending. This research demonstrates that it is possible to create an integrated BMD system for the GCC countries and that it would be beneficial to the U.S. It also shows, however, that distrust among the GCC countries would make such an arrangement difficult to establish and sustain."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Creating an Integrated Ballistic Missile Defense System for the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Andrei Shoumikhin"],"dc:creator":["Kortsha, Nicholas Joseph"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this thesis is to determine the challenges and importance of creating an integrated missile defense system for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries. With its ballistic missiles, Iran is capable of targeting, major American military installations in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman. Vital oil refineries, ports, terminals and shipping lanes in the region are also within range of Iran's missiles, along with every major population center. Creating an integrated ballistic missile defense (BMD) system for the GCC would effectively negate this threat. Many of the elements needed for such a system, including BMD radars and interceptor systems, have already been sold to GCC nations and are currently operational. By integrating these systems and creating an overarching command structure, the BMD capabilities for all of the GCC would be strengthened. This integrated system would increase deterrence against a ballistic missile attack, thus allowing the U.S. to draw down some of its forces in the region and reduce its own defense spending. This research demonstrates that it is possible to create an integrated BMD system for the GCC countries and that it would be beneficial to the U.S. It also shows, however, that distrust among the GCC countries would make such an arrangement difficult to establish and sustain."],"dc:identifier":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1375"],"dc:rights":["© Nicholas Joseph Kortsha"],"dc:subject":["ballistic missile defense","international relations","deterrence","Iran","Gulf Cooperation Council","Defense and Security Studies"],"dc:title":["Creating an Integrated Ballistic Missile Defense System for the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Defense and Strategic Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:16:23Z"}