Role of Ballistic Missiles in Third World Defense Strategies

Ballistic missile proliferation poses a fundamentally new challenge for U.S. defense planners in general and for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) in particular. The following discussion concentrates on the role of ballistic missiles in the defense plans of Third World states rather than on the kinds of missile technologies they are seeking to acquire. More specifically, this paper will examine: (1) their motivations for procuring ballistic missiles, (2) the military roles and missions assigned to such systems in Third World defense planning, (3) Third World targeting strategies, and (4) implications of the foregoing for SDIO in light of the program's refocused interest in theater and limited strike defenses. The result of these efforts will be a broad overview of military implications of Third World ballistic missiles.