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15 J. Legis 179 (1988-1989)
Strategic and Political Aspects of the Strategic Defense Initiative: A Soviet Viewpoint

handle is hein.journals/jleg15 and id is 185 raw text is: STRATEGIC AND POLITICAL ASPECTS OF THE STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVE: A SOVIET VIEWPOINT* Roald Z. Sagdeyev**, Yevgeni P. Velikhov*** and Andrei A. Kokoshin**** I. GENERAL A space-based antimissile system, even if ideal from the scientific and technological points of view, would never accomplish, as is contended by some members of the U.S. political leadership, a turnaround in strategic thinking to substitute the deterrence based on the concept of mutual assured destruction, by the deterrence based on the concept of mutual assured survival, since it would not guarantee total protection from ballistic missiles and air-based strike weapons. Therefore, all the arguments in favor of the allegedly stabilizing role of comprehensive ballistic missile defense (BMD) make no sense. It is also worth emphasizing that concurrently with the deployment of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), the United States is actively pursuing a program of deployment of strategic offensive arms, nuclear medium range forces, and theater nuclear arms. Consequently, the development and deployment of a space-based BMD would only complicate the issue of mutual deterrence and would lead to a more precarious strategic balance. Such a view of the proposed U.S. antimissile system as a way to enhance the country's first strike capabilities is also determined by the fact that the United States is not willing to commit itself not to use nuclear arms first, and continues to build up its first strike capability. One important element of this policy was the deployment in Europe of U.S. medium range nuclear armed missiles, notably Pershing II rockets. It would be pertinent to recall in this connection that the Soviet Union, cognizant of the importance of enhancing the stability of the balance considering the tense military and political situation, announced unilaterally in June of 1982 that it would not use nuclear arms first. Drawing on past experience, one can assume with a high degree of probability that the development of BMD would cause the deployment of a host of coun- * This article is reprinted by permission from Chapter Seven of R. SAGDEYEV, YE. VELIKHOV & A. KOKosmN, WEAPONRY IN SPACE: THE DILEMMA OF SECURITY (1986), originally published as Kosmicheskoe oruzhie: dilemma bezopasnosti. Published in English by Mir Publishers, Moscow, 1986. All rights reserved. ** Director, Space Research Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; Advisor, Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame. Dr. Phys.-Math. Sci., Moscow State University, 1955. * Vice President, Academy of Sciences of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; Head of Chairs and Professor of Physics, Moscow State University. Dr. Phys.-Math. Sci., Moscow State University, 1958. **** Professor of History, Moscow State University. Dr. Sci. (Hist.), Moscow State University, 1968.

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