The effectiveness of the U.S. missile defense capabilities as a deterrent to the North Korean missile threat

View/ Open
Author
Gipson, Issac G.
Date
2007-12Advisor
Robert, O'Connell
Second Reader
Giordano, Frank
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Over the last five years, America has placed an ever-increasing emphasis on missile defense and currently spends nearly $10 billion annually on its development. The United States' current missile Defense system is integrated; it depends on the cooperation of defensive elements aboard ships, on land, in the air and space. The objective is to provide a layered defense with multiple opportunities to destroy an incoming missile. By investing heavily in missile defense technology, the United States is clearly aiming to protect itself and its allies, but it is also attempting to deter its enemies and other terror regimes from spending their dollars on long-range missiles with the capabilities of hitting United States targets. The underlying theory is that rogue regimes possess limited funds and will not invest precious dollars on weapons that will not be effective during an attack. The United States believes its missile defense system is a deterrent to rogue states. However, North Korea's test launches in July 2006, along with subsequent testing of a nuclear device, illustrates that while the United States' missile defense system may protect America from attacks, it may not be an effective deterrent to North Korea's further missile development and future use in offensive action.
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Hyper Glide (HG) Delivery Systems and theImplications for Strategic Stability and Arms Reduction
Center on Contemporary Conflict (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2013);The United States, Russia, and China are reportedly developing Hyper-Glide (HG) missile systems that are high speed, non-ballistic, long-range delivery vehicles. Able to maneuver and evade missile and air defense systems, ... -
The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and its security implications for the United Kingdom and the United States
Sironi, Luke (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1998-12);The United Kingdom has signed and ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The United States signed the treaty in September 1996, and currently the decision on whether to ratify it is pending in the Senate. Key differences ... -
Assessing the influence of the United States' nuclear deterrent on the China-Japan security relationship
Stanford, David L. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2010-12);To what extent has the United States' guaranteed nuclear deterrent to Japan influenced the security relationship between China and Japan? The conventional wisdom holds that while the overall balance of U.S. influence has ...