US AND NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENCE. PERSPECTIVES ON TWO DECADES OF DEBATE
US AND NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENCE. PERSPECTIVES ON TWO DECADES OF DEBATE

Summary/Abstract: This article sets out the history of US NMD programmes and the design and technical challenges of the proposed system. The presentation is chronological, as it is related to national defence objectives, the critical technical problems in achieving these objectives. The US National Missile Defence (NMD) programme aims to protect the US against a limited number of ballistic missiles, fired from a “state of concern”. NMD plans have attracted criticism that it is technically difficult to implement and risks destabilising international security by undermining nuclear arms control.

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