Strategic Defense Imitative

1. Strategic Defense Imitative

2. Background • In 1979, the Cold War was still raging between the United States and the USSR • Both countries had a large number of nuclear missiles • United States: 1,600 • USSR: 1,500

3. Ronald Regan’s Visit • In 1979, Ronald Regan visited the NORAD Command center in Cheyenne mountain. • The commanding officers showed him the day to day operations and our counter measures for a nuclear attack. • Regan realized that from this visit that we didn’t have a way to defend from a nuclear attack.

4. The Speech • On March 23, 1983 Regan gave his famous “Star Wars” speech • In it he called for an increase in defense spending (44 Billion increase) • He told the American public about his defense plan in the event of a nuclear attack

5. Strategic Defense Initative • Used three “screens” to defend the country • First, use of space stations that fire watermelon sized projectiles to blow up the missiles over Soviet air space • Second, lasers would be fired from the ground and redirected by using large mirror like satellites over the Atlantic ocean • Lastly, laser equipped planes and surface to air missiles would destroy any remaining missiles over the United States http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMUb8FWr88A

6. Strategic Defense Initative

7. Weapons • Brilliant Pebbles • Name for the weapon that would fire watermelon size bullets from a space craft at the missiles • Brilliant Eyes • Recognition system that was supposed to be placed in satellite to direct a laser beam. • Space Based Interceptors • Weapons used thermal imaging to track the nuclear missile and disable it

8. Aftermath • There was wide criticism when Regan proposed this idea • Use of ABM missiles • Physicist Hans Bethe said that it was would be difficult to build, let alone work • Said an easy way to bypass the system would be to just launch decoys that was mixed in with the other nuclear missiles • Also use of x-rays would be improbable due to the waves spreading out quickly

9. Aftermath • Offices said that the technology was “years away from being even developed , let alone working.” • Regan was even quoted as saying that “it was just a story and many Americans believed that it could be built.” • Plan was never fully carried through, due to cost and technological limitations

10. Violation of Treaties • Outer Space Treaty of 1967 • Outlawed the use of nuclear capable weapons and any weapons of mass destruction that was placed in outer space • Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty • Limited number of ABM to 100 per country • Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty • Meant to aid in the limitation of nuclear weapons • People felt that by creating more missiles and weapons systems, it was just further escalating the arms race

11. Work cited • http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB197/ • http://www.coldwar.org/articles/80s/SDI-StarWars.asp • http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1983/32383d.htm • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMUb8FWr88A

12. Work Cited • http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/march-23-1983-reagan-proposes-star-wars-missile-defense-system/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 • http://martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/aug2006/starwars1.html#Cost