Back to arms control: limiting US national missile defence

Abstract

Since the end of the 1990s, the United States is spending an enormous amount of time, money and energy in developing a workable missile defence system. The Bush administration plans to deploy a couple of missile interceptors in Alaska and California before September 2004. This article assesses different US missile defence scenarios, using four criteria: technological feasibility, cost, threat perception, and strategic stability. Based on these four criteria, we conclude that only a limited US NMD system that is not easily expandable will be acceptable for the other global actors, including Russia, China and Europe. It also requires a multilateral anti-ballistic missile treaty that sets limits to missile defence.