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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.

Report

Tentative Thoughts on Non-Nuclear IRBM's for Attacking Parked Aircraft

This paper is the result of a recent suggestion by Dale Oyster regarding the use of ballistic missiles with non-nuclear warheads to attack parked aircraft at ranges on the order of 1500 n mi.

May 17, 1963
Report

Optimizing a prelaunch checkout.

A consideration of the problem of making design decisions for time-limited checkouts of ballistic missiles. The paper develops (1) a quantitative criteria for the value of including individual checks in the checkout, (2) an expression for the require...

Jan 1, 1960
Report

A Parametric Study of the Performance of Air-Launched Ballistic Missiles

An attempt to estimate the effect of three launch variables (namely, velocity, path angle, and altitude) on the performance of air-launched ballistic missiles.

Jan 1, 1960
Report

A Game Solution to a Missile Launching Scheduling Problem

A game solution to the problem of scheduling missile launchings from bases that may come under enemy attack.

Nov 25, 1959
Report

Objectives of the United States Military Posture

Discussion of U.S. military posture and its objectives in a period of possible parity between the Soviet Union and the United States in the possession of hardened missiles.

May 1, 1959
Report

Programmed Warning of U.S.-Based SAC Against Air-Breathing Threats: Problems and Suggested Solutions

By 1958, ensuring adequate warning of attack had become accepted as the paramount problem in air defense. This report concludes that the warning system should and can be augmented.

Aug 18, 1958
Report

Infrared Techniques Applied to the Detection and Interception of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

A study of the defensive application of infrared-optical techniques for detecting an intercontinental ballistic missile during its take-off, mid-course flight, and re-entry.

Jan 1, 1955
Report

Project Feedback Summary Report: Volume I

An analysis of the potential of an unconventional reconnaissance method whereby inaccessible points on the earth may be viewed by television from a satellite orbiting at 300-mi altitude. The current code name for this project is "Feed Back."

Mar 1, 1954
Report

Project Feedback Summary Report: Volume II

This volume contains information on the specific design aspects of the Feed Back device.

Mar 1, 1954
Report

Defending a Strategic Force After 1960: With Notes on the Need by Both Sides for Accurate Bomb Delivery, Particularly for the Big Bombs

This paper, written in 1954, presents tentative findings of a first (and somewhat primitive) look at the defense of SAC against the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.

Feb 1, 1954
Report

A Revised Development Program for Ballistic Missiles of Intercontinental Range

British defense historian D. MacKenzie in 1990 called SM-21 arguably the most important single document of the missile age.

Jan 1, 1954
Report

Effects of impulsive deflections on ballistic missile trajectories.

A mathematical analysis of the sensitivity of long-range ballistic missiles to deflection from an assigned target by an accelerating impulse applied during the free-flight phase. The quantitative relationship between the accelerating impulse and the ...

Jan 1, 1954
People

Cortez A. Cooper III

Senior International/Defense Researcher; Affiliate Faculty, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Education M.A. in Asian Studies, University of Hawaii; B.A. in psychology, Davidson College
People

Mayumi Fukushima

Stanton Nuclear Security Postdoctoral Fellow
Education Ph.D. in political science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; M.A. in public administration / public policy, Harvard University; M.A. in international relations, Sciences-Po Paris; B.A. in international law, Keio University
People

Jacob L. Heim

Senior Policy Researcher
Education B.A. in mathematics, Amherst College; M.A. in international relations, Johns Hopkins University
People

Gregory S. Jones

Adjunct Defense Policy Analyst
Education A.B. in biology, University of Chicago

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RAND Topic:
Ballistic Missiles

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