Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD)

Ballistic missile defense (BMD) is one of the most controversial issues in world politics and U.S. defense policy. Advocates of BMD contend the United States is facing a growing number of threats from ballistic missiles and therefore must develop defenses to combat those threats. Others, however, argue that there are other alternatives for dealing with missile threats and that BMD has a number of inherent disadvantages. Russia and China have specific concerns over BMD, as do many U.S. allies.

A number of BMD systems are under development, but testing many of these systems would have violated the ABM Treaty. For this reason, in June 2002, President George W. Bush announced the United States' official withdrawal from the treaty. 

Further Reading:

	National Intelligence Council, "Foreign Missile Development Threats"
	U.S. Dept. of Defense, Proliferation Threat and Response
	Ballistic Missile Defense Organization
	U.S. Dept. of State, Missile Defense & ABM Treaty Archives
	Ballistic Missile Threat
	American Foreign Policy Council, Missile Defense
	CDI, Colonel Daniel Smith, "'Missiles'and Ballistic Missile Defense"
	Fed. of American Scientists, "National Missile Defense"
	U.S. House of Rep., National Missile Defense Test Program
	WMD 411 Bibliography, Missile Defense

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