Number: RS22120
Title: Ballistic Missile Defense: Historical Overview
Authors: Steven A. Hildreth, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division 
Abstract: For some time now, ballistic missile defense (BMD) has been a key national security priority, even though such interest has been ongoing since the end of World War II. Many current BMD technologies date their start to the 1980s, and even earlier. This effort has been challenging technically1 and politically controversial. More than $120 billion has been spent on a range of BMD programs since the mid-1980s; Congress appropriated $9.4 billion for FY2007 and $9.9 billion for FY2008. This report provides a brief overview of U.S. BMD efforts to date.
Pages: 6
Date: January 28, 2008