The sdi was intended to defend the united states from. Nov 10, 2017 the response was the strategic defense initiative, a plan that would put in place a system of satellites to shoot icbms out of the sky as a nuclear deterrent from above. On march 23, 1983, president reagan proposed the creation of the strategic defense initiative sdi, an ambitious project that would construct a spacebased antimissile system. Strategic defense initiative wikipedia a system proposed by u. James abrahamson, director of the strategic defense initiative organization, boston globe, january 14, 1987, p. The strategic defense initiative the other star wars. Sometimes people referred to reagans plan as star wars, because of the original idea to use lasers. But the administration retained the term strategic defense initiative, and the nickname star wars which president reagan distinctly dislikes persisted. The basic plan was to build a defense system against nuclear attack, in violation of arms control treaties signed with the ussr.
Claremont institute in his state of the union address, president bush announces a drastic revision of the controversial strategic defense initiative sdi, or star wars missile defense system see march 23, 1983. Possible soviet responses to the us strategic defense. Reagan was a vocal critic of the doctrine of mutual assured. The strategic defense initiative organization sdio was set up in 1984 within the united states department of defense to oversee development. The sdi is hard to comprehend for a more basic reason. Mutually assured destruction mad was the military strategy adopted during the cold war arms race. Sdi, popularly referred to as star wars, was announced by president ronald reagan in a speech in mar. A wide array of advanced weapon concepts, including lasers, particle beam weapons and ground and spacebased missile systems were studied, along with various sensor, command and control, and highperformance computer systems that would be needed to. Star wars systemsthe president did not specifically mention any weapon concepts or basing. The response was the strategic defense initiative, a plan that would put in place a system of satellites to shoot icbms out of the sky as a nuclear deterrent from above. Russian nuclear forces project, working paper, march 20. Defense is a better strategy for war avoidance than the threat of retaliation for a number of reasons. It provides the results of research into the sdi interest groups, the distribution of contracts and the politics of influence. It is my understanding that the strategic defense initiative, what was known as star wars, was only in reference to the spacebased, xray laser technologies.
It was first proposed by president ronald reagan in a nationwide television address on march 23, 1983. Star wars movies was inspiration for the sdi star wars, so u. Cold war tensions were riding high at the time, boosted by the soviet unions fears about the us strategic defense initiative the star wars program and the international incident caused by the soviet air defense shooting down a korean passenger plane earlier in september that year. It examines new research into the sdi interest groups, the distribution of contracts, and the politics of influence, and explores sdi in terms of alliance management. The sdi was first proposed by president ronald reagan in a nationwide television address on march 23, 1983. The strategic defense initiative sdi, also known as star wars, was the us response to possible nuclear attacks.
Reviews and assesses the reagan administrations socalled star wars program or strategic defense initiative sdi. After reagan announced the star wars initiative, the soviet union scrambled to respond. In 1983, reagan proposed the strategic defense initiative sdi, which was a plan for a spacebased missile defense system against any threat of soviet missiles. Mad had fostered an uneasy peace during the cold war as neither the u. What is the importancesignificance of the strategic. The strategic defense initiative sdi was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the united states from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarinelaunched ballistic missiles. Choice the author is a proponent of the strategic defense initiative, but he marshals the arguments against it as well as those for it in a fair manner. The project was called the strategic defense initiative, but democrats and their media cheerleaders mocked it as star wars, its announcement coming, as it did, shortly after reagans. C a plan to use laser technology to defend america against missiles backgroundcontext. Because parts of the defensive system that reagan advocated would be based in space, the proposed system was.
Definition of strategic defense initiative in the dictionary. Sdi has never, despite the intentions of several presidents, provided the united states with an effective, reliable. Strategic defense initiative star wars ronald reagan was the 40th american president who served in office from january 20, 1981 to january 20, 1989. Strategic defense initiative definition of strategic. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. A history of missile defense, from star wars to trump. The strategic defense initiative sdi, also known as star wars, was a program first initiated on march 23, 1983 under president ronald reagan. Mar 20, 2017 when a politician promises something that holds the promise of changing the course of human history, we naturally assume its typical overstatement. The reagan year term definition sdi strategic defense.
Strategic defense initiative sdi reagans proposed strategic defense initiative 1983, also known as star wars, called for a land or spacebased shield against a nuclear attack. Sdi strategic defense initiative the strategic defense initiative sdi, also known as star wars, was a program first initiated on march 23, 1983 under. This is what pushed them to eventually sign a new defense treaty with the us. United states missile defense agency president reagan announces his proposal for the strategic defense initiative sdi, later nicknamed star wars, originally conceived two years earlier see 1981. An overview of reagans sdi policy, which helped to bankrupt the ussr and thereby end the cold war. Strategic defense initiative sdi, commonly known as star wars, proposed u.
Mad was based on the assumption that both the ussr and the us would refrain from launching nuclear weapons, knowing that the other country would retaliate and cause the complete nuclear annihilation of. Feb 09, 2012 strategic defence initiative star wars. Also they shouldve studied more to see if it actually could work. Feb 08, 2010 an overview of reagans sdi policy, which helped to bankrupt the ussr and thereby end the cold war. Current successes with new technologies as those achieved by the uss lake erie fall under the category of national missile defense. It, along with other us defense programs, drove the soviets crazy in trying to create defenses against them. Political cartoons of sdi strategic defence initiative.
As the most thoughtful polemic in support of star wars it should be available for scholars in all university libraries. Strategic defense initiative facts for kids star wars strategic defense initiative facts 1. The christian science monitor is an international news organization that delivers thoughtful, global coverage via its website, weekly magazine, online daily edition, and email newsletters. Searching for star wars shows the very public pr battles over the program, including debates about its price and efficacy, while searching for strategic defense initiative shows the less public, but no less delicate, internal battles around how the program was perceived among agency heads and foreign nations. President ronald reagan on march 23, 1983, to use groundbased and spacebased systems to protect the united states from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. The program is now administered by the missile defense agency originally the strategic defense initiative office, a separate agency in the u. After graduating college in 1932, he found work as a radio sports announcer in iowa. A look at the total number of nuclear warheads worldwide, the number of deployed warheads, and the countries that possess reactors, warheads, uranium mining or other atomic facilities.
Jul 29, 2017 the cias database tells two parallel stories. Although sdi was criticized as unfeasible and in violation of the antiballistic missile abm treaty, congress approved billions of dollars for development. It does not yet exist in the form of concrete weapons systems. An artists rendering of an xray laser hit an incoming missile. Appendix j articles by critics of the strategic defense. The strategic defense initiative, progress and challenges. From what i found, the star wars program sdi was supposed to be a network of sensors, satellites, and various forms of interceptors that would be built around the us. Strategic defense initiative article about strategic. It envisaged a very sophisticated system that would stop thousands of missiles within only a few minutes after launch, detection and warning. Ballistic missile defense organization or strategic defense initiative formerly in the us a proposed system of artificial satellites armed with lasers to destroy enemy missiles in space. Purely defensive measures do not pose a threat to the security of other nations.
Strategic defense initiative was visionary washington times. Strategic defense initiative sdi, or star wars despite widespread doubt about its feasibility among technical experts. Star wars, sdi, or the strategic defense initiative was intended to defend the u. Strategic defense initiative strategic defense initiative sdi, former u. Wednesday, july 18, 2018 during the 1980s, president ronald reagan initiated the strategic defense initiative sdi, an antiballistic missile program that was designed to shoot down nuclear missiles in space. Strategic defense initiative synonyms, strategic defense initiative pronunciation, strategic defense initiative translation, english dictionary definition of strategic defense initiative. What was reagans strategic defense initiative star wars. The strategic defense initiative sdi star wars youtube. Why the technology behind sdi didnt work how the star wars. President reagan suspected that the announcement of the strategic defense initiative sdi would infuriate the soviet union. An exoatmospheric kill vehicle, or ekv, part of the brilliant pebbles spacebased missile defense system. The strategic defense initiative sdi, also known as the star wars program, is most likely the most controversial project of the cold war. The intent of this program was to develop a sophisticated antiballistic missile system in order to prevent missile attacks from other countries, specifically the soviet union. What is the importancesignificance of the strategic defense.
A wide array of advanced weapon concepts, including lasers, particle beam weapons and ground and spacebased missile systems were studied, along with various sensor, command and control, and highperformance computer systems that would be needed to control a system consisting of hundreds of combat centers and satellites spanning the entire globe and involved in. Information and translations of strategic defense initiative in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Star wars books definition of star wars books by the. May 15, 20 it, along with other us defense programs, drove the soviets crazy in trying to create defenses against them. Strategic defense initiative sdi, byname star wars, proposed u. One of the important events during his presidency was the strategic defense initiative star wars. I did some limited research on this a few years ago for a school project.
The strategic defense initiative sdi was a major program for defense against soviet missiles championed by president ronald reagan beginning in 1983. Otherwise known as star wars, sdi sought to create a spacebased shield that would render nuclear missiles obsolete. Nov 10, 2014 the strategic defense initiative, or star wars, is over thirty years old. The strategic defense initiative, also known as sdi or the star wars program 19841993, was the batshit brainchild of the reagan administration, perhaps based on a movie reagan himself once saw. The strategic defense initiative debates in congress first edition. When a politician promises something that holds the promise of changing the course of human history, we naturally assume its typical overstatement. Ballistic missile defense systems could be on air, ground, and submarine platforms as well as on satellites. The strategic defense initiative, or star wars, is over thirty years old. Choice the author is a proponent of the strategic defense initiative. List of books and articles about strategic defense initiative. Dubbed star wars after the 1977 movie, sdi represented reagans rejection of mutual assured destruction. Rather than build a massive network of weapons capable of taking out the united states icbm fleet, the soviets decided to focus on building a weapon capable of destroying the united states missile defense system instead.
Definition and summary of the strategic defense initiative star wars summary and definition. Oct 25, 2016 a look at the total number of nuclear warheads worldwide, the number of deployed warheads, and the countries that possess reactors, warheads, uranium mining or other atomic facilities. It is a vision of possible new defense technologies, not a reality. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no. The strategic defense initiative organization was set up in 1984 within the united states department of defense to oversee development. Strategic defense initiative abbreviation for strategic defense initiative. This caused them to spend disproportional amounts in their defense budget, up to half of their overall budget was on defense spending. How the star wars program didnt work howstuffworks. A system armed with an array of spacebased xray lasers would detect and deflect any nukes headed toward the united states. Over the next 3 decades, he appeared in more than 50 movies. Despite reagans repeated assurances that the defense system would only be used to prevent the soviet union from attacking rather than giving the u. Sdi is envisioned as a wideranging missile defense system that, if it works, will protect the united states from nuclear attacks from the soviet. It discusses the wider contexts of star wars, such as alliance management, marketing and domestic politics, and its military spinoffs. The strategic defense initiative cambridge studies in.
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