National Missile Defense and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

Abstract : The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM), signed by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1972, has for 24 years served as a pillar for nuclear deterrence. Under this treaty both Cold War powers agreed to leave their population centers vulnerable to strategic nuclear missile strike by limiting the number of anti-ballistic missile sites. In the Post Cold War, the United States is clearly the only remaining superpower, however, Russia continues to posses its nuclear arsenals. Under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) 1 and 2, the United States and Russia have agreed to reduce their ballistic missile arsenals and no longer target the other's homeland. Although START will reduce the largest nuclear arsenals existing in the world today, the perception of a ballistic missile strike against the United States' homeland by a rogue state has intensified debate over employing National Missile Defenses which are not ABM Treaty compliant. The ABM Treaty prohibits multiple National Missile Defense sites. This study will address the ABM Treaty and National Missile Defense issues by analyzing the emerging missile threat along with other pertinent arms control issues; the conclusion being that by year 2010 the United States will no longer adhere to the ABM Treaty.