Kinetic Energy Kill for Ballistic Missile Defense (CRS)

A new report from the Congressional Research Service presents a skeptical overview of the development of kinetic energy interceptors — anti-missile missiles — for defense against incoming ballistic missiles.

“The data on the U.S. flight test effort to develop a national missile defense (NMD) system are mixed and ambiguous. There is no recognizable pattern to explain this record nor is there conclusive evidence of a learning curve over more than two decades of developmental testing.”

A copy of the new CRS report was obtained by Secrecy News.

See “Kinetic Energy Kill for Ballistic Missile Defense: A Status Overview,” January 18, 2006.