The History of SDI, the Strategic Defense Initiative, and Missile Defense in America
Contrary to common perception, the U.S. government has been researching and developing missile defense systems for more than 60 years. Since countries began developing ballistic missiles, the United States has been invested in finding solutions to protect Americans and our friends and allies from them. The first missile defense system was drawn up by a British general during World War II, and consisted of radars and massive antiaircraft artillery.
This kick started the U.S. government's efforts in researching and developing missile defense systems. Throughout the Cold War we ran a series of different missile defense programs. It started with Projects Thumper and Wizard in 1946 under the U.S. Air Force. The Army also developed a program in the 1950s called Project Plato, which would eventually become the popular PATRIOT missile of today.
Many feared that deploying a missile defense system would fuel an arms race with Moscow. Thus, President Lyndon B. Johnson deployed a missile defense system called Sentinel to defend the country against China, which had gained nuclear weapons capabilities.
In 1972 the United States signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the Soviet Union, limiting each country to two missile defense systems; the number would be brought down to one per country in 1974. Because we already had a missile defense system deployed, our efforts in missile defense were greatly slowed down.
It wasn't until President Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" speech in 1983 proposing his Strategic Defense Initiative that missile defense became a common household term. Reagan did not believe in the strategy of mutually assured destruction and preferred a strategy of protecting Americans from ballistic missiles.
Once the Soviet Union collapsed, the need for missile defense quickly dissipated. President Bill Clinton wished to remain compliant to the terms of the ABM treaty, and allowed very little research and testing to be done.
Under President George W. Bush, however, missile defense has received drastically more attention. The United States withdrew from the ABM treaty in 2002, and since then has been vigorously developing, testing and deploying missile defense technology. In the past six years, the military has run 34 hit-to-kill interceptor tests, almost all of them successful.
In the past year, the U.S. has moved beyond tests, and used our missile defense system to successfully shoot down a broken satellite falling towards earth. It is fair to say that missile defense is no longer scientific theory, but a well-tested and functioning system.
Film coming winter 2009: Keep checking this page for more articles about the strategic defense initiative and how it relates to the 33 Minutes film release.
