US Missile Defense Strategy : Engaging the Debate.

Intro -- Book Title -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- 1-Why Missile Defense? -- Strategy or Politics? -- Defining Grand Strategy -- Consistency Argument -- Outline of the Book -- Notes -- 2-Strategic Roles for Missile Defense -- Mission One: Defending Against and Defeating Threats -- Mission Two: Deterrence -- Mission Three: Dissuasion -- Mission Four: Assurance -- Conclusion -- Notes -- 3-The Nuts and Bolts of Missile Defense -- Ballistic Missile Principles and BMD -- Current Elements of the US Missile Defense System -- Conclusion -- Notes -- 4-BMD and the Clinton Administration -- Grand Strategy in the Clinton Administration -- Clinton Missile Defense Policy -- BMD and Grand Strategy in the Clinton Administration -- Conclusion -- Notes -- 5-BMD and the Bush Administration -- Grand Strategy in the Bush Administration -- Bush Missile Defense Policy -- BMD and Grand Strategy during the Bush Administration -- Conclusion -- Notes -- 6-BMD and the Obama Administration -- Grand Strategy in the Obama Administration -- Obama's Missile Defense Policy -- BMD and Grand Strategy during the Obama Administration -- Conclusion -- Notes -- 7-The Strategic Utility of Missile Defense -- Comparing Grand Strategy and Missile Defense Policies -- Optimal Policies: Beyond Efficacy -- Final Thoughts -- Notes -- Acronyms -- Bibliography -- Index -- About the Book.

Why has the United States continued to develop ballistic missile defenses in an era of irregular warfare and asymmetric terrorist threats? How does missile defense contribute to US global strategy? Can the BMD system achieve the goals that lay behind its creation? Michael Mayer addresses these questions in his balanced approach to the contentious debate over the strategic value of missile defense. Mayer surveys the grand strategies of the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations, methodically comparing them with each president's missile defense policies. He also demystifies the fundamentals of the BMD system. Seeking to change the terms of the debate, he cogently challenges much of the conventional wisdom touted by both supporters and detractors of ballistic missile defense.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.