1st Edition

The Soviet Union And Ballistic Missile Defense

By Bruce Parrott, Helmut Sonnenfeldt Copyright 1987
    136 Pages
    by Routledge

    124 Pages
    by Routledge

    Originally published in 1987. In the debate over strategic defense, the Soviet dimension has not been adequately examined. Dr. Parrott's multifaceted discussion of the Soviet approach to ballistic missile defense (BMD) admirably fills that gap. Based on an analysis of Soviet statements and Soviet weaponry, the study surveys Soviet perceptions of the shifting relationship between the superpowers and the effect of BMD on that relationship. The author then traces the evolution of Soviet policies toward ballistic missile defense and the introduction of weapons into space. After exploring the internal budgetary debates that will affect future Soviet decisions on BMD and space systems, the book outlines Soviet responses, political as well as military, to the Strategic Defense Initiative and concludes with recommendations for U.S. policy toward BMD and arms negotiations.

    1. The Central Issues 2. Soviet Views of the Geopolitical Context 3. Soviet Policy Toward Soviet BMD and the Military Uses of Space 4. The Resource Allocation Debate and Soviet BMD Decisions 5. Soviet Responses to the Strategic Defense Initiative 6. U.S. Policy and the Future of the Superpower Arms Competition

    Biography

    Bruce Parrott is the director of Soviet Studies at The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He is the author of Politics and Technology in the Soviet Union (1983) and editor of Trade, Technology, and Soviet-American Relations (1985). He is currently writing a book on the politics of Soviet defense spending