Making sense of ballistic missile defense
Subtitle: an assessment of concepts and systems for U.S. boost-phase missile defense in comparison to other alternatives
By: Committee on an Assessment of Concepts and Systems for U.S. Boost-Phase Missile Defense in Comparison to Other Alternatives ; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences ; National Research Council of the National Academies
Publisher: National Academies Press
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Washington, D.C
Language: eng
Number of pages: 282
ISBN-13: 9780309216104
Subjects: Ballistic missile early warning system; Ballistic missile defenses; Military policy
Description: "The Committee on an Assessment of Concepts and Systems for U.S. Boost-Phase Missile Defense in Comparison to Other Alternatives set forth to provide an assessment of the feasibility, practicality, and affordability of U.S. boost-phase missile defense compared with that of the U.S. non-boost missile defense when countering short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats from rogue states to deployed forces of the United States and its allies and defending the territory of the United States against limited ballistic missile attack. To provide a context for this analysis of present and proposed U.S. boost-phase and non-boost missile defense concepts and systems, the committee considered the following to be the missions for ballistic missile defense (BMD): protecting of the U.S. homeland against nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD); or conventional ballistic missile attacks; protection of U.S. forces, including military bases, logistics, command and control facilities, and deployed forces, including military bases, logistics, and command and control facilities. They also considered deployed forces themselves in theaters of operation against ballistic missile attacks armed with WMD or conventional munitions, and protection of U.S. allies, partners, and host nations against ballistic-missile-delivered WMD and conventional weapons. Consistent with U.S. policy and the congressional tasking, the committee conducted its analysis on the basis that it is not a mission of U.S. BMD systems to defend against large-scale deliberate nuclear attacks by Russia or China. Making Sense of Ballistic Missile Defense: An Assessment of Concepts and Systems for U.S. Boost-Phase Missile Defense in Comparison to Other Alternatives suggests that great care should be taken by the U.S. in ensuring that negotiations on space agreements not adversely impact missile defense effectiveness. This report also explains in further detail the findings of the committee, makes recommendations, and sets guidelines for the future of ballistic missile defense research."--Publisher's description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.

Also available online.
Table of contents: title: Summary; title: Introduction; title: U.S. Boost-Phase; title: Defense; title: Alternatives to U.S. Boost-Phase Defense; title: Comparison of Utility, Maturity, and Cost-Effectiveness; title: Recommended Path Forward  Unclassified Appendixes; title: Appendix A: Terms of Reference; title: Appendix B: Biographies of Committee Members and Staff; title: Appendix C: Summary of Meetings; title: Appendix D: Acronyms and Abbreviations; title: Appendix E: System Cost Methodology.