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D     s PCongressional Research Service

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Defense Primer: Ballistic Missile Defense


December 12, 2016


The United States has been developing and deploying
ballistic missile defenses (BMD) to defend against enemy
missiles 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 was
dismantled in 1975 because of concerns over cost and
effectiveness, and in FY1975 the Army started funding
research into hit-to-kill or kinetic energy interceptors as an
alternative.

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 over $200 billion for a broad range of
research and development programs and deployment of
BMD systems.

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 ballistic missiles in all phases of flight. U.S. statute
and BMD policy, however, are not directed at the strategic
nuclear deterrent forces of Russia and China.

Ballistic Msse 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, but the U.S.
BMDS is not directed at their deterrent forces. Neither the
United States nor Russia possesses any land-based ballistic
missiles with maximum ranges of 500-5,500 km because of
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.

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. The
U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) assesses that North
Korea is in the process of fielding an ICBM capability that
could strike the U.S. homeland with a nuclear warhead
based on worst-case assumptions and having not ever tested
that system. 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. The BMD program, including
research and development, has an annual cost of $8-$10
billion.

Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD)
Since 2004, the United States has deployed a force of 30
(expanding to 44) Ground-based Interceptors (GBI) at Ft,
Greely, Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
The GMD system is designed to destroy a limited attack in
space from long-range ballistic missiles 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


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