Defending America : the case for limited national missile defense / / James M. Lindsay, Michael E. O'Hanlon

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910823342903321
• Autore: Lindsay James M. <1959->
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Washington, D.C., : Brookings Institution Press, c2001
• ISBN: 0-8157-9867-9
• Edizione: [1st ed.]
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (xxvi, 258 pages) : illustrations, maps
• Altri autori (Persone): O'HanlonMichael E
• Disciplina: 358.1/74/0973
• Soggetti: Ballistic missile defenses - United States; National security - United States; United States Defenses
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph; Includes new preface.
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references (p. 227-246) and index.
• Nota di contenuto: ch. 1. Defending America. Déjà vu all over again Is the third time a charm? Why not prevention, preemption, and deterrence? Sensible defense means limited defense A modest proposal ch. 2. Missile Defense: concepts and systems Basic elements of ballistic missiles The trajectory of a ballistic missile Basic types of missile defenses Types of theater missile defenses Types of national missile defense Decoys and other countermeasures ch. 3. The threat. A growing ballistic missile threat? Russia China North Korea, Iran, and Iraq Other emerging ballistic missile powers Alternative threats The consequences of a missile attack ch. 4. Missile defense programs and architectures. Midcourse defense: the Clinton Administration program Larger midcourse defenses Boost-phase defenses Layered and space-based systems Conclusion ch. 5. The international politics of missile defense Russia China America's friends and allies South Asia No more disarmament? ch. 6. Missile defense and American security. A limited, two-tier national missile defense against "rogue" regimes Selling a limited, two-tier defense abroad Selling a limited, two-tier defense at home Appendixes. A. Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and related documents B. Excerpts from the DCI National Intelligence Estimate C. Excerpts from the 1998 Rumsfeld Commission Report D. Excerpts from the 1999 National Intelligence Review Notes Index
• Sommario/riassunto: Arms control and missile defense are once again at the forefront of the American national security agenda. Not surprisingly, the debate has broken down along well-worn lines. Arms control advocates dismiss the idea of missile defense as a dangerous and costly folly. Missile defense advocates argue that the U.S. should move aggressively to defend itself against missile attack. With clear and lively prose free of partisan rhetoric, Defending America provides reliable, factual analysis of the missile defense debate. Written for a general audience, it assesses the current and likely future missile threat to the United States, examines relevant technologies, and suggests how America's friends and foes would react to a decision to build a national missile defense. Lindsay and O'Hanlon reject calls for large-scale systems as well as proposals to do nothing, instead arguing for a limited national missile defense.