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Our Dossier

This dossier documents the United States policy on Missile Defense.

Please use the tabs to access the three sections of this dossier:

Tab 1 lists US priorities with regard to Missile Defense, major USG statements, recent USG statements, USG fact sheets, and US. Govt. reports. 

Tab 2 lists non-US. Govt. reports, journal articles, and other documents.

Tab 3 provides a set of links to major web sites.

If you cannot find what you are looking for, please contact us through email.
 

Other US Govt. Resources

Missile Defense Agency The Missile Defense Agency's mission is to develop, test and prepare for deployment a missile defense system.

 

NATO Discusses Missile Defense Statement by Ambassador Victoria Nuland, United States Permanent Representative on the North Atlantic Council on March 29, 2007.

 

Congressional Research ServiceKinetic Energy Kill for Ballistic Missile Defense: A Status Overview This January 2007 CRS report discusses how effective the U.S. investment has been in developing kinetic energy BMD systems?

 

Microphone icon representing hearings held before Congress Ballistic Missile Defense Programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program. Senate Armed Forces Committee; Washington, DC, April  11, 2007

 

Remarks by the deputy secretary of defense. Gordon R. England provided the keynote address at the 5th Annual Missile Defense Conference in Washington, DC on March 20, 2007.

 

Ballistic Missile Defense System Overview This document gives an overview of the MD-system. (caution: very large file)

 

Microphone icon representing hearings held before Congress Hearing of the defense subcommittee of the senate appropriations committee, May 11, 2005

 

Congressional Research ServiceBallistic Missile Defense: Historical Overview  This January 2007 CRS report gives an historic overview of Missile Defense.

 
 

Reports

National Security StrategyThe National Security Strategy of the United States of America (September 2002)

 

The United States Policy on Missile Defense: A Dossier

A RIM-7 NATO Sea Sparrow missile launches from USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN 74) during a live fire exercise in the Western Pacific Ocean
A RIM-7 NATO Sea Sparrow missile launches from USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN 74) during a live fire exercise in the Western Pacific Ocean, Oct. 18, 2004. The Sea Sparrow is used aboard Naval ships as a surface-to-air anti-missile defense system. DoD photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Mark J. Rebilas, U.S. Navy. 

Key U.S. Policy Priorities

bullet White House Outlines Need for Missile Defense System in Europe Iran is pursuing the technology that could be used to produce nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles of increasing range that could deliver them. Last November, Iran conducted military exercises in which it launched ballistic missiles capable of striking Israel and Turkey, as well as American troops based in the Persian Gulf.

Our intelligence community assesses that, with continued foreign assistance, Iran could develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. and all of Europe before 2015. If it chooses to do so, and the international community does not take steps to prevent it, it is possible Iran could have this capability. Iranian officials have declared they are developing missiles with a range of 1,200 miles, which would give them the capability to strike many of our NATO allies, including Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and possibly Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia.

America's Missile Defense Plans: A Rrimer

We must deploy a missile defense system to defend Europe against the emerging Iranian threat. This system will be limited in scope – a system made up of ten ground-based interceptors located in Poland, and an X-Band tracking radar located in the Czech Republic. Such a system would have the capacity to defend countries in Europe that would be at risk from long-range attack from the Middle East. We are also working with NATO on developing defenses against short- and medium-range attacks from the Middle East.

The system is not designed to defend against an attack from Russia. The missile defenses we envision would be easily overwhelmed by Russia's nuclear arsenal – the system is intended to deter countries that would threaten the United States with ballistic missile attack, and the U.S. does not consider Russia such a country.

We are inviting Russia to join us in the cooperative effort to defend Russia, Europe, and the United States against an emerging threat that affects us all. For his part, President Putin has offered the use of radar facilities in Azerbaijan and southern Russia. We believe these sites could be included as part of a wider threat monitoring system that could lead to an unprecedented level of strategic cooperation between our two countries.

bullet NATO is pursuing projects aimed at protecting Alliance forces, territory and populations against missile threats. This is in response to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, including missiles of all ranges.

bullet U.S. Missile Defense activities are purely defensive: "The United States has been fielding a missile defense system aimed toward defending itself, its deployed forces and its allies against emerging threats" Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry A. Obering III, director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, said on March 27, 2007.

Major US Government Statements

A select list of major statements On the United States and Africa with policy value.

Latest US Government Statements

This is a list of the 5 most recent items in reverse chronological order.

US Government Fact Sheets

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