SDI: Would it have been a great defense?

Skyhi2k2

New Member
So I have been doing a project on the SDI for some time, and I was just wondering if this system was possible. Now in the 1980's, it would have been a wild card since some of it would have violated the "Nukes in Space" treaty, and it would have been so much money. But would it be the best defense of today if it were made? Just want to hear people's thoughts.
 

ngatimozart

Super Moderator
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
So I have been doing a project on the SDI for some time, and I was just wondering if this system was possible. Now in the 1980's, it would have been a wild card since some of it would have violated the "Nukes in Space" treaty, and it would have been so much money. But would it be the best defense of today if it were made? Just want to hear people's thoughts.
Gidday cobber, welcome to the forum. Hard to say because if it had of gone ahead, others would have researched and implemented ways to mitigate it as much as they could. As you say cost would have been a major factor and at some stage the decisions would start having to be made around what other capabilities you would be willing to forgo in order to have this system.
 

colay1

Member
Ashton Carter gained prominence within the defense establishment with his analysis of Reagans SDI program back in the day. He helped save taxpayers a ton of money and what would likely have been years of misdirected effort.


https://111finalprojectnickh.voices.wooster.edu/documents/document-2/

Ashton Carter, one of the most brilliant minds of the past century in the field of nuclear weapons, carried out a scientific assessment of Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative at the behest of the United States Congress. His findings, while not explicitly stating that the program cannot succeed, reveal a great many technical obstacles to its success. Furthermore, Carter states that the possibility of a complete comprehensive shield is “remote”.
 

Npac

New Member
SDI was not a single concept. There were many architectures, with some of them violating physics and engineering principles more than others. The original concept of x ray lasers was soon debunked. The phase 1 architecture was probably the most developed, but it depended on several highly optimistic assumptions on sensor and weapon accuracy and reliability. The most feasible may have been the original brilliant pebble concept, as long as you didn't mind everything going into space being shot down. And, keep in mind. SDI soon evolved from the unachievable complete defense to one that would thin the attack enough to put uncertainty in the attacker's mind.
 
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