National Missile Defense (NMD) Research Paper

3942 Words8 Pages

National Missile Defense

National Missile Defense (NMD) is an extremely complex land-based ballistic missile system with the sole purpose of defending the United States against a ballistic missile attack from a foreign country. The NMD architecture consists of five main components.

1. Ground-Based Interceptors (GBI): The purpose of the GBI is to destroy the incoming nuclear weapon. The interceptor is a multistage rocket, which is launched after receiving a firing solution from the command and control system. After exiting the atmosphere, the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) is released. This is the actual equipment that is to intercept the incoming warhead and destroy it by colliding with it. The EKV has on-board thrusters that enable it to change course if required to intercept the warhead.

2. Battle Management, Command, Control, and Communications (BM/C3): The BM/C3 component is divided into two main parts. First, the Command and Control (BM/C2) system controls the overall NMD system. Information from sensors is forwarded to the BM/C2, which processes the data and determines the targets for the GBI to intercept. Second, the In-Flight Interceptor Communications System (IFICS) is a network of ground systems that relay communications to the GBI while in flight to guide it to the incoming warhead.

3. X-Band/Ground-Based Radars: These radar systems gather tracking information regarding the incoming warheads during the mid-course phase of the missile. This data is then sent to the BM/C2, which in turn is sent to the GBI for guidance to intercept the warhead.

4. Upgraded Early Warning Radars (UEWR): These radars systems detect targets near the horizon, early in the ballistic missi...

... middle of paper ...

...s?” Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers. 29 Sep 1999. < http://www.clw.org/coalition/ucsnmd092999.htm>

5 Class Notes from website

6 Class Notes from website

7 Gronlund, Lisbeth. “The Planned US NMD System: Is the Technology Ready for Deployment? Will the Pentagon Know If It Is?” Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers. 29 Sep 1999. < http://www.clw.org/coalition/ucsnmd092999.htm>

8 Galum, John, Joshua Shakon and Tan Mau Wu. “National Missile Defense – A CS91 Final Project.” < http://www.cs.swarthmore.edu/~eroberts/cs91/projects/national-missile-defense/index.html>

9 Approaching Ethics, Class notes regarding instructions for the Ethical Decision-making Group Capture Worksheet

10 Approaching Ethics, Class notes regarding instructions for the Ethical Decision-making Group Capture Worksheet

Show More
Related

  • Submarines in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars

    2009 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Trident Submarine houses twenty-four nuclear warheads with each having a range of 4,600 miles over land. If a nuclear war were to break out between the Soviet Union and the United States, virtually every major city could be destroyed in a matter of hours. The origin of these major players in modern day warfare lies in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.

    Read More

  • Understanding How Microsystems can Affect Macrosystems and Viceversa to Accomplish Stategic Direction within Healthcare Systems

    2184 Words  | 5 Pages

    Determined healthcare systems routinely examine their environments internally and externally to locate significant trends and forces in the present and for the future which will have an effect on their performance goals and mission efforts. These healthcare systems understand who their stakeholders are, their needs and how best to meet those expectations and needs. These systems give attention to specific efforts on accomplishing goals that acquire opportunities in the whole environment while they continue to adjust their internal structures and functions. Precise aims are dealt with by uninterrupted sequences for performance improvements. Strategic directions for systems originate from the mission and directives. Strategic directions are identified by observing key stakeholders, addressing their interests and being proactive about responding to current, as well as, future shifts and trends in the systems’ entire environment (Skinner, 2001).

    Read More

  • Desert Storm Air Defense Essay

    1624 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Iraqi forces fired 93 Scud missiles at coalition forces in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. (Rostker) Air Defense Artillery (ADA) played an immensely significant role in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm with units from 11th Brigade Air Defense Artillery and the 32d Air Defense Command rapidly deploying into theater. The effectiveness of the units and their roles in fighting this war proved that Air Defense Artillery was critical to the success of the campaign. Although Patriot Batteries placed strategically throughout Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel played a tremendous tactical role in these wars, High-Medium Air Defense (HIMAD) was not the only type of surface to air missile system in place to protect ground forces and valuable military assets. Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) units also deployed with the air defense units. These weapon systems, integrated with ground forces, provided air defense to dominate against aircraft and Tactical Ballistic Missiles (TBM) on the front lines.

    Read More

  • Women as Authroity Figures in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Richard III by William Shakespeare

    693 Words  | 2 Pages

    The idea of women holding authority was unheard of in ancient times and more recently in Colonial America up through the mid twentieth century. It has always been thought that men are superior to women and that women are not strong enough physically and mentally to hold any true authority. For instance, women did not receive the right to vote in the United States until 1920; the first female senator wasn’t appointed until late 1922. In Chinua Achebe’s novel Thing Fall Apart, however, women do hold authority and some even hold more authority than men. Achebe describes how in the Ibo culture women hold the main positions in Ibo religion as priestess and Oracle and that even the strongest man in the Ibo village and the main character of the novel, Okonkwo, must obey the commands of these women.

    Read More

  • British Women In Ww2 Essay

    1780 Words  | 4 Pages

    Reading, Gwem. "Radar Operator in WW2." Letter. 8 Nov. 2003. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. BBC WW2 People's War. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • The World War II: Air War

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Radar during World War II." - GHN: IEEE Global History Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. .

    Read More

  • Homer's Unique Process of Making Art

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dorne, Albert. "Is Illustration Art?" Ed. Walt Reed and Roger Reed. The Illustrator in America, 1880-

    Read More

  • Our Cell Phones, Our Selves by Christine Rosen

    1761 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the essay “Our Cell Phones, Our Selves” written by Christine Rosen, the author presents a brief history on how cell phones were introduced into society and how this artifact changed people’s interactions in the physical space. Rosen describes the first cell phone that appeared in 1983 as “hardly elegant,” big and expensive (458). Cell phones at that time were mainly used by important and affluent people. However, seven years later, cell phones became smaller and affordable provoking a big change in society. This big technological advance did not only affect the United States, but the entire world.

    Read More

  • Strategic Defense Initiative Essay

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    It was originally assumed that the SDI program was a virtually perfect defense against a large intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, attacks, which required very competent weapons. An ICBM has three levels of flight; the boost phase, the midcourse phase, and the terminal phase. With the SDI program, a space-based directed energy, or a laser, weapon would be used to destroy ICBM’s in the boost phase. Ground-based, space-based lasers or continental weapons could be used to destroy ICBM’s in midcourse, and ground-based beam weapons and missile interceptors could be used to destroy ICBM’s in the terminal phase. But as the goals of the program have evolved toward more realistic ambitions, the requirements for highly competent weapons diminished. Therefore, the initial focus on space-based directed energy weapons gradually shifted toward interest in ground-based kinetic energy weapons.

    Read More

  • Air Defense In Vietnam War Essay

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    Initially designed as an anti-aircraft system, Patriot became operational in 1985. (Patriot, 2013) Patriot fires a missile from its launching station to engage an aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicle, cruise missile or a tactical ballistic missile. In 1991, Operation Desert Storm had kicked off and Patriot added missile-interception. Patriot anti-tactical ballistic missile capability phase 2 (PAC-2) had the first wartime engagement of a tactical rocket by an anti-tactical ballistic missile in history. Patriot upgraded to the PAC-3 missile that utilizes hit-to-kill technology making it over ninety percent success rate on engagements. Patriot is constantly undergoing improvements and remains one of the most sophisticated air defense technologies in the world today. (Kraus, 2000; Patriot,

    Read More

  • Nazi Party's Use of Artistic Propaganda Led To The Ascension and Dominance of German Culture

    760 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Nazi's use of propaganda was meticulously planned by party leaders. In Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler very clearly outlined his intended use of propaganda to manipulate public opinion. He stated, “...by clever and persevering use of propaganda even heaven can be represented as hell to the people, and conversely the most wretched of life as paradise...” (276).

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Christine Rosen's 'Our Cell Phones Ourselves'

    1719 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the article entitled, “Our Cell Phones Ourselves”, Christine Rosen describes how cell phones have changed the way we communicate. Rosen tells the readers the main purpose for cell phone use in the past, versus present day. Her purpose is to make society aware of how cell phones have influenced our lives in order to inspire change as to how we view our cell phones. Rosen directs her writing to everyone in the present day by describing the negative results of cell phone use and how it impacts our lives and those around us. Without a doubt, cell phones are going to be a part of our world, but it is the responsibility of every cell phone owner to exercise self control and understand that a cell phone is nothing more than a device.

    Read More

  • Soviet Ideology And Ideology

    1507 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...volution. The ruling Communist Party would then put the Marxism-Leninism ideology in motion through its ever-narrowing cultural policy as it attempted to put the Marxist ideas into practice with intent to create a new Soviet nation. One such method of achieving this nation was through the use of propaganda. However in the case of the Soviet Union, due to the fact that the ideology and policy's was inconsistent nature and was prone to changes, the propaganda apparatus within the Soviet Union took a much different role than historically traditional practices of propaganda. This role would see the ideology and cultural policy being used as the tool of the propaganda rather than vice-versa. Therefore the new relationship between soviet ideology and propaganda supports the claim that the practice of propaganda was in fact bigger than the ideology itself in Soviet Russia.

    Read More

  • Cell Phone Culture And Dr. Gerard Goggin's Cell Phone Culture

    1854 Words  | 4 Pages

    It’s hard to believe that the cell phone, which has revolutionized daily life, is a relatively new phenomenon. It wasn’t that long ago, that a telephone was like a piece of “furniture” that connected to a wall in a home or place of business and was used for making a telephone call. Today a cell phone is a part of one’s wardrobe. It goes where we go, and it is used for so much more than making calls. In his book Cell Phone Culture, Dr. Gerard Goggin looks at the cultural implications of this transformative piece of technology. But to do so, he first discusses the history of the cell phone and how that history impacted society.

    Read More

  • Social Change from Cell Phones

    650 Words  | 2 Pages

    Cell phones have created one of the biggest social changes in human history. We as people have gone from speaking face to face, to call each other on the phone occasionally, to today where we all carry a computer in our pockets that can do anything you want it to. We as people have gone from being social with one another to posting things on social media. It’s crazy to think that just 25 years ago you couldn’t communicate with someone else across town without being at home using the telephone. Cell phones have changed us socially in a drastic way. It has changed the way we communicate with one another, it has changed how we interact with others, and it has changed the way we act in public places and social gatherings.

    Read More

More about National Missile Defense (NMD) Research Paper

Open Document