Publication

This paper discusses the levels of national and theater missile defense that might pose a realistic threat to the strategic nuclear forces of the major nuclear powers, thereby undermining strategic stability. It shows that changing one's strategic targeting doctrine to concentrate on targets located within a fraction of the defender's national territory may ameliorate this threat, at some cost to the effectiveness of one's deterrent. The author concludes that systems that can only shoot down strategic missiles within range do not pose a realistic threat to the strategic nuclear forces of any of the five major nuclear powers.