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Ballistic Missiles

Ballistic missiles are short-, medium-, and long-range rocket-propelled vehicles that deliver nuclear or conventional weapons. RAND's analyses help policymakers understand the potential uses of ballistic missiles for warfare and terrorism, the likelihood of their use by combatants, possible defense strategies, and emerging threats to the global security environment.

Commentary
Nothing's Free in Dealing with Putin
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Aug 1, 2001
Commentary
There's a Better Way to Missile Defense
Published commentary by RAND staff.
May 3, 2001
Commentary
The China and Nuclear Reunion Is Only a Motive Away
Published commentary by RAND staff
Feb 24, 2001
Report
Deterrence and the ABM: Retreading the Old Calculus
The author believes that no clear-cut case can be made for or against the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) and national missile defense.
Jan 1, 2001
Report
Planning a Ballistic Missile Defense System of Systems: An Adaptive Strategy
This paper outlines a hypothetical general solution to the problem of robust defense to cope with increasingly complex challenges.
Jul 29, 1999
Report
GPS-Aided Guidance for Ballistic Missile Applications: An Assessment
The proliferation of Third World ballistic missiles is a major concern for the U.S. government. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of U.S. control policies as they pertain to ballistic missiles, focusing on those with ranges of 300-1000 km.
Jan 1, 1996
Report
Satellite navigation-aiding for ballistic and cruise missiles
Satellite navigation-aiding for ballistic and cruise missiles
Jan 1, 1996
Report
Calculating the Utility of Attacks Against Ballistic Missile Transporter-Erector-Launchers
Calculating the utility of attacks against ballistic missile transporter-erector-launchers (TELs) associated with the proliferation of theater ballistic missiles (TBMs) can play a role in sharply reducing the prospective threat size.
Jan 1, 1995
Report
Strategic Futures: Evolving Missions for Traditional Strategic Delivery Vehicles
Addresses the post-Cold War use of traditional U.S. strategic nuclear forces (nuclear-armed long-range bombers, ICBMs, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles) from three perspectives: top-down, bottom-up, and policy.
Jan 1, 1995
Report
When the Weak Attack the Strong: Failures of Deterrence
One potential justification for a thin area missile defense is the increasing proliferation of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction. However, it has been argued that states possessing such weapons would not attack much stronger states s...
Jan 1, 1991
Report
The Impact of Missile Proliferation on U.S. Power Projection Capabilities
Addresses the proliferation of ballistic missiles with conventional warheads, including chemical warheads.
Jan 1, 1990
Report
U.S. export control policy and the Missile Technology Control Regime
The proliferation of ballistic missiles poses a worldwide threat. The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) was created in 1987 to help control the spread of delivery system technology by means of parallel export restrictions among signatory membe...
Jan 1, 1990
Report
The Geometry of a Satellite-Ballistic Missile Engagement
This Note describes in mathematical terms the dynamic geometry between a constellation of satellites deployed for ballistic missile defense (BMD) and the missiles the satellites are engaging.
Jan 1, 1988
Report
Limitations on tactical missile defenses: negotiated and otherwise
The launching of the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative raises defense strategy issues surrounding the capabilities of antitactical ballistic missiles (ATBMs) and the U.S.-Soviet antiballistic missile treaty of 1972. This paper explores potential poli...
Jan 1, 1988
Report
The Promise of Passive Defenses
This paper reviews the capabilities of Soviet tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs) and considers passive defense measures such as hardening, redundancy, dispersal, and mobility, that NATO might use against them.
Jan 1, 1987
Research Brief
Defending Airbases with Electromagnetic Guns
This research brief describes RAND's evaluation of the utility of electromagnetic guns for defending airbases, especially against nonnuclear tactical ballistic missiles.
Jan 1, 1986
Report
Presidential Control of Force: The Korean War and the Cuban Missile Crisis
An analysis of the rationale and necessity for presidential direction and control of limited military conflicts, as demonstrated by the Korean experience and the Cuban missile crisis.
Jul 1, 1967
Report
The Ballistic Missile Decisions
An outline of decisions concerning ballistic missiles from the reaction to the German use of guided missiles in the closing months of World War II in Europe through the enunciation of a new set of national strategic principles during the U.S. ...
Jan 1, 1967
Report
Conventional Missile Attacks Against Aircraft on Airfields and Aircraft Carriers
A ballistic missile attack using warheads containing many small fragmentation bomblets is considered, with special application to the war in Vietnam.
Jan 1, 1966
Report
Sufficiency and Information Rate of Multi-Stage Statistical Tests
This Memorandum formulates the problem and the definition of quantities of interest, and demonstrates certain fundamental equalities of the conditional distributions of the sample size occurring in Wald's sequential probability ratio test.
Feb 1, 1965

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Ballistic Missiles

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