Overview

Since the 1960s, U.S. political leaders have engaged in a controversial debate regarding the deployment of a strategic ballistic missile defense (BMD) system to protect the American homeland. Using an analytic framework consisting of prerequisites for successful strategic weapon programs, this book assesses BMD proposals from the Cold War era (focusing primarily on the 1967 Sentinel proposal).

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9780761806875

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Reviews

McMahon's 'Pursuit of the Shield' is a thoughtful addition to the strategic defense debate. Although many will not agree with him, he is consistent and thorough in proposing an approach that combines limited ballistic missile defenses with a comprehensive arms control proposal. His treatment of the history of the debate, the threat profiles, and the technologies will be useful to both proponents and opponents of strategic defenses.--Rose Gottemoeller

McMahon and Warner make a sound argument for developing and deploying a NMD system-'putting 'rubber on the road' to protect American families. Military Review Magazine A well-documented history of how policy, ideology, and politics have kept America vulnerable to ballistic missile attack. -- Ambassador Henry Cooper, director of High Frontier; former director of the US Defense Department's Strategic Defense Initiative Organization McMahon's program...is timely and innovative...Pursuit of the Shield is a provocative work; it is a 'must read' for students of strategic doctrine and arms control. -- Paul Hammond, Ridgeway Center for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh McMahon's 'Pursuit of the Shield' is a thoughtful addition to the strategic defense debate. Although many will not agree with him, he is consistent and thorough in proposing an approach that combines limited ballistic missile defenses with a comprehensive arms control proposal. His treatment of the history of the debate, the threat profiles, and the technologies will be useful to both proponents and opponents of strategic defenses. -- Rose Gottemoeller, International Institute for Strategic Studies McMahon's 'Pursuit of the Shield' is a thoughtful addition to the strategic defense debate. Although many will not agree with him, he is consistent and thorough in proposing an approach that combines limited ballistic missile defenses with a comprehensive arms control proposal. His treatment of the history of the debate, the threat profiles, and the technologies will be useful to both proponents and opponents of strategic defenses. -- Rose Gottemoeller, International Institute for Strategic Studies McMahon and Warner make a sound argument for developing and deploying a NMD system-'putting 'rubber on the road' to protect American families. Military Review Magazine

Author Information

K. Scott McMahon is a National Security Analyst at Pacific-Sierra Research Corporation in Arlington, Virginia and has ten years of academic and professional experience in the field of U.S. foreign and defense policy.

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