Role of Terminal Defenses in Strategic Defense

Local PDF: ADA344990.pdf

AD Number: ADA344990
Subject Categories: ANTIMISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS SPACE WARFARE
Corporate Author: LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LAB NM
Title: Role of Terminal Defenses in Strategic Defense
Personal Authors: Canavan, Gregory H.
Report Date: DEC 1991
Pages: 20 PAGES
Report Number: LA-12064-MS
Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
Monitor Acronym: DOE, XF
Monitor Series: UC-900, XD
Descriptors: *ANTIMISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS, *BALLISTIC MISSILE INTERCEPT SYSTEMS, REENTRY VEHICLES, BOOST PHASE, TARGETS, OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, DECOYS, STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVE, VEHICLES, THEATER MISSILE DEFENSE.
Identifiers: BMDO COLLECTION, U3469
Abstract: Terminal interceptors can use the atmosphere for discrimination. They also have disadvantages in development, cost, saturation, and susceptibility to preferential attacks. Terminal could be preferred for higher midcourse costs or decoys. Their main limitation is battlespace. It is possible to integrate boost- and terminal-phase defenses by reducing the number of reentry vehicles penetrating the boost phase to the roughly one per target terminal defenses could handle. Terminal defenses could offset boost-phase defenses' lack of preferentiality and midcourse defenses' sensitivity to decoys.
Limitation Code: APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
Source Code: 211350
Citation Creation Date: 10 JUN 1998