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4. What kind of missile defense systems exist?

Submitted by MikeChalberg on Mon, 2012-03-05 12:54

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Many countries, including some American adversaries, possess a variety of different missiles (short-, medium-, and long-range). Therefore, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency focuses on three types of defense: against intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), theater missiles, and tactical missiles. All of these weapons pose great potential danger. Missile defense systems are usually multi-layered and combine ground-based radar, satellites, and, depending on the type of missile that needs to be intercepted, ship-based, land-based, and truck-based anti-missile missile stations. 

Below is a diagram of how the U.S. missile defense system is designed to operate: 

Source

 A missile defense radar station is pictured below.

Missile Defense Installation

Source

 

The U.S. military has also developed lasers for missile defense, such as the MTHEL featured below.

 

 

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Chart or Graph

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Iran and its relationship with Venezuela in regards to developing and sharing nuclear weaponry.

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Analysis Report White Paper

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This article discusses the potential hidden agenda beyond protecting America from an attack from a ballistic missile.

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Sherman addresses the historical inaccuracies of missile defense and also how a nuclear attack against the United States is more likely to come from a ship or airplane rather than an ICBM.

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Ms. Ridenour discusses the fundamental differences in war today compared to previous decades, and how an inability to defend against a ballistic missile attack is unacceptable.

Video/Podcast/Media

Carafano argues that the Iranians have been able to launch a satellite into space and that the North Koreans are not far behind.

"The elimination of the B53 by Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is consistent with the goal President Obama announced in his April 2009 Prague speech to reduce the number of nuclear weapons. The President said, 'We will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge others to do the same.' The dismantlement of the last...

"A Russian company is marketing a devastating new cruise missile system which can be hidden inside a shipping container, giving any merchant vessel the capability to wipe out an aircraft carrier.

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Analyst Marko Papic explains two separate statements made Wednesday that give Russia momentum against U.S. plans for ballistic missile defense in Europe.

This video describes how NATO's missile defense system works.

This video demonstrates how laser technology is being used for missile defense in the military.

This video clip explains the success behind missile defense technology.

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This video clip shows the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile defense system.

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Primary Document

This document outlines each aspect that contributes to our missile defense system, how the system is tested, and the success of the program.

"The Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) is a complex system of elements and supporting efforts. The integration of these many elements will enable a robust, layered defense to defend against a hostile missile in all phases of flight."

"This Agreement establishes the rights and obligations of the Parties with respect to the use by the United States of the Closed Area on the territory of Poland in the locality of Slupsk-Redzikowo for the purpose of deployment there and use of non-nuclear ground-based ballistic missile defense interceptors."

Annual Address to the Federal Assembly by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin outlines goals for the country in the years ahead and reassures previous national goals.

"In the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems the United States and the Soviet Union agree that each may have only two ABM deployment areas, ... so restricted and so located that they cannot provide a nationwide ABM defense or become the basis for developing one. Each country thus leaves unchallenged the penetration capability of the others retaliatory missile forces....

"The Missile Defense Agency conducts regular intercept flight tests. These tests provide data to anchor models and simulations that can then be used to verify performance and confirm the technological progress of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. The MDA also conducts regular, rigorous non-intercept tests, including sensor characterization flight tests, ground tests, and wargame exercises...

"The protection of the United States from the threat of ballistic missile attack is a critical national security priority. The threat to our deployed military forces and to our allies and partners is growing rapidly. This threat has significant implications for our ability to project power abroad, to prevent and deter future conflicts, and to prevail should deterrence fail.

At the same...

The Missile Defense Agency's test program provides critical data to demonstrate the performance of the Ballistic Missile Defense System and its elements.

"Prime Minister Tusk. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, before the visit of President Barack Obama, I learned that Ralph Waldo Emerson was your favorite American thinker. And certainly at the time I tried to search for some association, some quotations, some connections. And out of all these ideas, the one that talks about enthusiasm—that nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm—...

Among other things, this commission report shows how the ballistic missile threat to the United States is real, and has been real for some time now.

The appropriate response to the EMP threat is a balance of prevention, planning, training, maintaining situational awareness, protection, and preparations for recovery.

"The CTBT bans all nuclear explosions on Earth whether for military or for peaceful purposes.

It comprises a preamble, 17 articles, two annexes and a Protocol with two annexes."

"This report is prepared annually to provide Congress with official, unclassified, quantitative data on conventional arms transfers to developing nations by the United States and foreign countries for the preceding eight calendar years for use in its policy oversight functions. All agreement and delivery data in this report for the United States are government-to-government Foreign Military...

This piece is in question/answer format in which Mr. Whitman asks the Lieutenant about the successful missile defense test.

"I was honored to have the opportunity today to watch the dismantling of the final B53 bomb at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas.

Dismantling the B53 bomb – the oldest weapon in America’s nuclear arsenal and one of the highest-yield nuclear weapons ever fielded by the United States – is a tremendous accomplishment for the National Nuclear Security Administration and for the Energy...

"The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, and with the President of the Export-Import Bank, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and other agencies and officials as appropriate, is hereby authorized to impose on a person any of the sanctions described in...

Former Senator Proxmire explains the cost of developing missile defenses to President Reagan and that the benefits are not worth the costs.

"The United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, hereinafter referred to as the Parties,

Convinced that the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems and this Interim Agreement on Certain Measures with Respect to the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms will contribute to the creation of more favorable conditions for active negotiations on...

"Iran's extensive inventory of ballistic missiles is considered by some as its primary means to deliver weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to a variety of potential targets in the region. Recent missile tests and reports that Iran is actively pursuing nuclear weapons have helped to increase regional tensions. This report will be updated as events warrant."

"The United States and the USSR have agreed to recommend the following principles as the basis for future multilateral negotiations on disarmament and to call upon other states to cooperate in reaching early agreement on general and complete disarmament in a peaceful world in accordance with these principles:

1. SECURE DISARMAMENT AND PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES... WAR NO LONGER....

The Missile Defense Agency conducts regular flight tests to verify performance and confirm the technological progress of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).

This text displays the former President's ideas on missile defense and why, as President, he helped push the growth and enhancement of our missile defense system.

This press release from the Department of Defense helps solidify the effectiveness of the missile defense system.

This Bill seeks "To state the policy of the United States regarding the deployment of a missile defense system capable of defending the territory of the United States against limited ballistic missile attack."

"The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), negotiated between the United States and the Russian Federation, is a follow-on agreement to the original START Treaty between the U.S. and the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan that expired in December 5, 2009. Signed by Presidents Obama and Medvedev on April 8, 2010, New START significantly advances our leadership on...

Text of, protocols and supporting documents for the New START.

"During the Senate debate on the new U.S.-Russian Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) in 2010, many Senators raised questions about Russian nonstrategic nuclear weapons and noted their absence from the treaty limits. The United States and Russia have not included limits on these weapons in past arms control agreements. Nevertheless, Congress may press the Administration to seek...

"On May 24, 2002, President Bush and Russia’s President Putin signed the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (known as the Moscow Treaty). It mandated that the United States and Russia reduce their strategic nuclear weapons to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads by December 31, 2012. The U.S. Senate gave its advice and consent to ratification on March 6, 2003; the Russian Parliament did the...

"The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was opened for signature in 1968, and has nearly 190 Parties. The Treaty comprises legally binding non-proliferation commitments and is the basis for international cooperation on stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. The President in Prague on April 5 said that the basic bargain at the core of the Treaty is sound: 'countries with...

"A nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ) is a specified region in which countries commit themselves not to manufacture, acquire, test, or possess nuclear weapons. Five such zones exist today, with four of them spanning the entire Southern Hemisphere. The regions currently covered under NWFZ agreements include: Latin America (the 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco), the South Pacific (the 1985 Treaty of...

"Thank you so much. Thank you for this wonderful welcome. Thank you to the people of Prague. Thank you to the people of the Czech Republic. (Applause.) Today, I'm proud to stand here with you in the middle of this great city, in the center of Europe. (Applause.) And, to paraphrase one of my predecessors, I am also proud to be the man who brought Michelle Obama to Prague. (Applause.)

To...

"At the 703rd plenary meeting of the Conference on 23 March 1995, the Special Coordinator, Ambassador Shannon of Canada, presented his report on the outcome of his consultations 'on the most appropriate arrangement to negotiate a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.'"

Former President Reagan talks about the Soviet disregard for the ABM treaty and the importance of developing a security shield that destroys weapons, not people.

President Reagan thanks the astronautics employees and talks about the importance of their work related to the safety of the American citizen.

"At the 703rd plenary meeting of the Conference on 23 March 1995, the Special Coordinator, Ambassador Shannon of Canada, presented his report on the outcome of his consultations 'on the most appropriate arrangement to negotiate a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices'."

"The subject I want to discuss with you, peace and national security, is both timely and important. Timely, because I've reached a decision which offers a new hope for our children in the 21st century, a decision I'll tell you about in a few minutes. And important because there's a very big decision that you must make for yourselves. This subject involves the most basic duty that any President...

"Like the Antarctic Treaty, the Outer Space Treaty, and the Latin American Nuclear-Free Zone, the Seabed Treaty sought to prevent the introduction of international conflict and nuclear weapons into an area hitherto free of them. Reaching agreement on the seabed, however, involved problems not met in framing the other two agreements."

List of member countries to the NPT.

"The Parties hereto establish an International Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as 'the Agency') upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth."

"The Agency shall seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. It shall ensure, so far as it is able, that assistance provided by it or at its request or under its supervision or control is not used in such a way as to further any military purpose."

The text of, protocols for, and various documents pertaining to START I.

Reagan unveiled his famous missile defense program in 1983 with the hope of it precipitating the end of the Cold War. Though it faced harsh criticism, the program (under a different name) still exists today.

This testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee addresses the need for additional funding for long range missile defense specifically to counteract the growing number of ballistic missiles carried by rogue states.

This report analyzes the effectiveness of the technology behind the ballistic missile defense system.

"Many people have the misconception that sanctions are an effective means to encourage a change of behavior in another country without war. However, imposing sanctions and blockades are not only an act of war according to international law, they are most often the first step toward a real war starting with a bombing campaign. Sanctions were the first step in our wars against Iraq and Libya,...

"The United States and Russia signed the New START Treaty on April 8, 2010. New START provides the parties with seven years to reduce their forces, and will remain in force for a total of 10 years. The New START Treaty limits each side to no more than 800 deployed and nondeployed ICBM and SLBM launchers and deployed and nondeployed heavy bombers equipped to carry nuclear armaments. Within that...

"Unmanned systems are proving to have a significant impact on warfare worldwide. The true value of these systems is not to provide a direct human replacement, but rather to extend and complement human capability in a number of ways. These systems extend human reach by providing potentially unlimited persistent capabilities without degradation due to fatigue or lack of attention. Unmanned...

"The Test Ban Treaty of 1963 prohibits nuclear weapons tests 'or any other nuclear explosion' in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water. While not banning tests underground, the Treaty does prohibit nuclear explosions in this environment if they cause 'radioactive debris to be present outside the territorial limits of the State under whose jurisdiction or control' the explosions were...

START II was a bilateral treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation that was abandoned by both sides before coming into force.

"The United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, hereinafter referred to as the Parties,

Conscious that nuclear war would have devastating consequences for all mankind,

Guided by the objective of strengthening strategic stability,

Convinced that the measures set forth in this Treaty will help to reduce the risk of outbreak of war and strengthen...

"In the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems the United States and the Soviet Union agree that each may have only two ABM deployment areas, ... so restricted and so located that they cannot provide a nationwide ABM defense or become the basis for developing one. Each country thus leaves unchallenged the penetration capability of the others retaliatory missile forces."

"Each Party undertakes, in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty, to limit strategic offensive arms quantitatively and qualitatively, to exercise restraint in the development of new types of strategic offensive arms, and to adopt other measures provided for in this Treaty."

"The Outer Space Treaty, as it is known, was the second of the so-called 'nonarmament' treaties; its concepts and some of its provisions were modeled on its predecessor, the Antarctic Treaty. Like that Treaty it sought to prevent 'a new form of colonial competition' and the possible damage that self-seeking exploitation might cause."

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons intended to curb the ability of non-nuclear state from acquiring nuclear weapons and sought to disarm states already possessing nuclear capabilities. However, it drew a sharp line between nuclear technology for war and peace. It maintained every state had a right to peaceful atomic energy. It also established the International Atomic...

"Like the Antarctic Treaty, the Outer Space Treaty, and the Latin American Nuclear-Free Zone, the Seabed Treaty sought to prevent the introduction of international conflict and nuclear weapons into an area hitherto free of them. Reaching agreement on the seabed, however, involved problems not met in framing the other two agreements."

"Unmanned aircraft are commonly called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and when combined with ground control stations and data links, form UAS, or unmanned aerial systems."

White House Announcement on the Development of a Defensive System against Nuclear Ballistic Missiles
President Ronald Reagan
March 25, 1983

"Today the President issued a National Security Decision Directive addressing his intent to direct the development of...

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FAQs

Missile defense. It's been talked about for decades, some of us even grew up watching Patriot missiles shoot down Iraqi Scud missiles in the first Gulf War. But where do things stand today? Is it still needed? Should I care? Those questions and more are answered in the FAQ below.

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