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1 1 (December 29, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/goveaqu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Defense Primer: Ballistic Missile Defense The United States has been developing and deploying ballistic missile defenses (BMD) to defend against enemy missiles continuously since the late 1940s. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the United States deployed a limited nuclear-tipped BMD system to protect a portion of its U.S. land-based nuclear ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) force in order to preserve a strategic deterrent against a Soviet nuclear attack on the Homeland. That system became active in 1975 but shut down in 1976 because of concerns over cost and effectiveness. In the FY1975 budget, the Army began funding research into hit-to-kill or kinetic energy interceptors as an alternative-the type of interceptor technology dominates U.S. BMD systems today. In 1983, President Reagan announced an enhanced effort for BMD. Since the start of the Reagan initiative in 1985, BMD has been a key national security interest in Congress. It has appropriated well over $200 billion for a broad range of research and development programs and deployment of BMD systems here and abroad. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is charged with the mission to develop, test, and field an integrated, layered, BMD system (BMDS) to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends against all ranges of enemy hypersonic and ballistic missiles in all phases of flight. Current U.S. policy, however, is not directed at the strategic nuclear deterrent forces of Russia and China. The FY2020 budget request is $13.6 billion for missile defense, $9.4 billion of which is for MDA. Ballistic Missile Threats After an initial powered phase of flight, a ballistic missile leaves the atmosphere and follows an unpowered trajectory or flight path before reentering the atmosphere toward a predetermined target. Ballistic missiles have an effective range from a few hundred kilometers to more than 10,000 kilometers (km). Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) range from 300-1,000 km and are generally considered for tactical military use. Medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) have a range from 1,000-5,500 km, although most are armed with conventional warheads and range less than 3,500 km. ICBMs range further than 5,500 km and are generally considered as strategic deterrent forces. Most of the world's ballistic missiles belong to the United States and its friends and allies. Russia, especially, and China have significant numbers of ICBMs. Russia continues to possess intermediate-range ballistic cruise missiles (3,500-5,500 km), which led to the U.S. withdrawal from the 1987 INF (Intermediate Nuclear Forces) Treaty. The ballistic missile threats of most concern to the United States today are primarily the SRBM and MRBM forces from North Korea, Iran and China, and growing North Korean ICBM capabilities. Updated December 29, 2020 North Korea likely has an arsenal of hundreds of SRBMs that can reach all of South Korea and perhaps dozens of MRBMs (whose reliability at this point remains uncertain), capable of reaching Japan and U.S. bases in the region. North Korea is in the process of developing an ICBM capability that could strike the U.S. homeland with a nuclear warhead. Although North Korea has conducted a number of nuclear tests, it is unclear whether any of their ballistic missiles are armed with a nuclear warhead. The IC assesses that Iran has the largest inventory of ballistic missiles in the Middle East. Those missiles are armed with conventional warheads; Iran does not have a nuclear weapons capability. Most of Iran's ballistic missile force consists of SRBMs with ranges less than 500 km, which it views as a tactical warfighting force. Iran also has a growing and significant number of MRBMs capable of striking targets throughout the region, which it views as a deterrent force. Iran does not appear to have a dedicated ICBM program. Almost all of China's SRBMs are deployed at bases opposite Taiwan. China's MRBMs can reach U.S. bases, as well as U.S. friends and allies in the region. China's missile forces could also target U.S. naval ships in Northeast Asia. Additionally, China is working on a range of technologies to attempt to counter U.S. and other countries' BMD systems. China's ICBM and some nuclear-armed MRBM forces are intended for strategic and regional deterrence. The Major Elements of the U.S. BMDS The United States has deployed a global array of networked ground, sea, and space-based sensors for target detection and tracking, an extensive number of ground- and sea-based hit-to-kill (direct impact) and blast fragmentation warhead interceptors, and a global network of command, control, and battle management capabilities to link those sensors with those interceptors. Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Since 2004, the United States has deployed a force of 44 (expanding now to 64) Ground-based Interceptors (GBI) at Fort Greely, AK, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. The GMD system is designed to destroy a limited attack in space from ICBMs aimed at the United States, to include from North Korea and even Iran. Although the GMD system is praised by senior military leaders and is generally viewed in successful terms, it does have a somewhat mixed flight test record. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) THAAD is a highly mobile, rapidly deployable BMD system designed to shoot down attacking short- and medium-range missiles during their final or terminal phase of flight. It is designed to provide broad area coverage ittps://crsreports~congress.gov

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