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Strategic Defense Initiative

Strategic Defense Initiative. Team G Shane Murray Leah Matthews Shaun Mahoney Bill Price Patrick Quast. Strategic Defense Initiative. Concept-History-Scope By: Shane Murray. Concept. Destroy intercontinental ballistic missiles bound for United States territory

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Strategic Defense Initiative

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  1. Strategic Defense Initiative • Team G • Shane Murray • Leah Matthews • Shaun Mahoney • Bill Price • Patrick Quast

  2. Strategic Defense Initiative Concept-History-ScopeBy: Shane Murray

  3. Concept • Destroy intercontinental ballistic missiles bound for United States territory • Interceptor Missiles/Lasers • Ground and Spaced Based Weapons • Missiles based from land • Lasers on satellites orbiting over United States • “Like hitting a bullet with a bullet” • Missiles traveled nearly 16,000 mph • Unrealistic

  4. History • Cold War Nuclear Arms Race • USSR created need for a national defense system. • 1983 President Ronald Reagan proposed SDI plan • In direct violation of 1972 Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM)

  5. Scope • SDI project re-routed as National Missile Defense (NMD) • Battlefield sized SDI • Destroy missiles on smaller scale over a specific battlefield • Iraqi SCUD missile • NMD becomes heavily funded with nuclear proliferation at a new high • Korea, Iraq, Syria and Libya all obtain nuclear arms

  6. Role of computers in SDI By, Leah Matthews

  7. Specialized computers Sensor systems • ex) Radars: they perform signal processing on data perceived by the sensor • Imaging radar • A single computer incorporated into the radar would perform the processing, storage, and analysis • Interceptor • Can locate and destroy missiles on their own • Would provide continuous world-wide coverage against limited or accidental ballistic missile strikes.

  8. Creating Software • Using already produced, commercial computers could be cheaper and simpler if software was just created for the computers • More reliable and efficient, less expensive • Software development would not have to wait for the hardware, in case schedules are not met.

  9. Computers For Communication • Computers can also help with communication among the battle managers, sensors, and weapons • Space to space • Space to ground • Ground to space • Info transmitted would be digitally encoded • Info is transmitted10^7 bits/second • Examples of topics of communication • Location of targets and weapons • Status of resources • Decisions that have been made

  10. Computer Simulations • Can predict the behavior of different system designs • To anticipate threats against the system • To model different ways in which the system will work • Provide realistic environment in which the system might work • To test the functioning of the system as a whole, both before and after deployment • Example: • A computer that would be used in an aircraft can be tested for durability during flight

  11. Pros And Cons Of Strategic Defensive Initiative By Shaun Mahoney

  12. Pros • Protection from a Nuclear Attack • Feasible Technology • Now Affordable • Very High Protection Rate Of Oncoming Attacks • More Jobs • Safety

  13. Cons • Little Success or Accuracy • Radiation • Costs For Program Could Be Used For Other Expenses For The Country • Might Never Be Used

  14. Bill Price "Who Supports S.D.I. and Why?"

  15. Creator and Supporter • Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan • Introduced the program in 1980’s at the height of the Cold War • Believed that such a program was necessary to defend our country against incoming attacks by hostile nations (particularly the Soviet Union)

  16. Current Supporter • President George W. Bush • The S.D.I program was a major part of his 2000 Presidential campaign • Reintroduced the program after Former President Clinton demoted it during his presidency • Sources within the White House confirm that the Bush administration has conducted secret research that could produce a powerful ground-base laser meant to shatter enemy satellites

  17. Miscellaneous Support • The United States State Department- One official quoted in 2006 as saying “Our government will continue to consider possible role that space-related weapons may play in protecting our assets.” • The Pentagon- Announced the results of three tests of missile interceptors over the Pacific Ocean, making clear that they are considering weapons of S.D.I. nature

  18. Current and Future Support • Poll of Mother’s in four states (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Wisconsin) found that they too support a missile defense system • Participant's believed that a missile defense system would make them feel safer and would like one developed as soon as possible • However, this poll was conducted by the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA)

  19. Patrick Quast Opponents of SDI

  20. Main Opponents • Congress • Press/Media • American Public • Military Contractors

  21. Congress-Main Reasons • Potential for Public Embarrassment • Huge Bill • Need for expanded taxes • Upset Tax Payers

  22. Defense Contractors • The Holy Grail of Defense Contracts • Too expensive • Too complicated • Just out of reach in terms of a finished product

  23. American Public • Fear of if something went wrong, there would be no back up • Soviet Hacking • Against raised taxes

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