Missile Defense Countermeasures

An animation showing just a few of the serious technical problems with the United States' National Missile Defense System (NMD).

More info: http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_weapons_and_global_security/

In December 2002, President Bush announced the United States would create several parts of an anti-missile system designed to protect U.S. territory from attack by long-range ballistic missiles.

In July 2004, the first ground-based interceptor was fielded at Ft. Greely, Alaska, and since then, upgraded radars, command and communication networks, and more interceptors at Ft. Greely and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California have been installed

The anti-missile program has received $7 billion to $10 billion—more funding than at the peak of the Reagan administration's "Star Wars" project. Even higher levels of funding would be required to maintain the current programs in the near future.

A reasoned look at the technology shows that it is not ready for deployment. The system is still in the early stages of research and development. Test conditions remain far from realistic. As a result, taxpayer dollars are being spent on a system that has no operational capability.

More info: http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_weapons_and_global_security/

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