historical voerview

In 1983 the President of The United States Ronald Reagan was frightened that the Soviet Union might launch a nuclear attack on the United States, son in March 23, 1983 he introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as the “Star Wars”. The SDI was a space age defense system that would protect the United States from a Soviet Union Attack. SDI would create a missile shield of laser beams to shoot down attacking The Soviet Union. It took the arms race almost into the realm of science fiction. Once it was perfected, SDI would provide the United States with the means to survive a first strike attack and enable it to fire missiles back. “Among the potential components of the defense system was both space- and earth-based laser battle stations, which, by a combination of methods, would direct their killing beams toward moving Soviet targets. Air-based missile platforms and ground-based missiles using other non-nuclear killing mechanisms would constitute the rear echelon of defense and would be concentrated around such major targets as U.S. ICBM silos. The sensors to detect attacks would be based on the ground, in the air, and in space, and would use radar, optical, and infrared threat-detection systems.

This system would tip the nuclear balance toward the United States. The Soviets feared that SDI would enable the United States to launch a first-strike against them. Critics pointed to the vast technological uncertainties of the system, in addition to its enormous cost.

Although work was begun on the program, the technology proved to be too complex and much of the research was cancelled by later administrations. The idea of missile defense system would resurface later as the National Missile Defense”.