The United States should pursue nuclear weapons control instead of developing ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems, a paper from the Center for Defense Information (CDI), a Washington think tank, urges.
While the paper notes that then-President Reagan 25 years ago urged formation of a ballistic missile shield to protect the United States and its allies from enemy missile attacks, the paper also notes that Reagan added that BMD systems development might lead to arms control and elimination of nuclear threats.
“I am directing a comprehensive and intensive effort to define a long-term research and development program to begin to achieve our ultimate goal of eliminating the threat posed by strategic nuclear missiles,” the paper noted Reagan said. “This could pave the way for arms control measures to eliminate the weapons themselves.”
The paper entitled “Missile Defense and Arms Control: 25 Years Later” may be read in entirety at http://www.cdi.org on the Web.