We have witnessed over the last year or so an enormous growth in the political impact, if not the technical impact, of the President's Strategic Defense Initiative, popularly called “Star Wars.” Some argue that without this initiative the Soviets would not have “returned to the bargaining table” to resume talks on strategic and intermediaterange weapons. Others argue that with SDI the United States cannot possibly reach an arms‐control agreement with the Soviet Union. The true believers assert that SDI points the way to a future free of nuclear weapons, while opponents claim that it is a sure‐fire prescription for a major escalation in the arms race, the militarization of space and a collapse of the current, albeit limited, arms‐control regime. (See Gerold Yonas's article on page 24.)
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
June 1985
June 01 1985
The Strategic Defense Initiative: Perception vs Reality
ABM defense technology deserves further research within treaty limits, but the “Star Wars” program is too large, too political, raises false hopes and poses grave dangers to national and world security.
Physics Today 38 (6), 34–45 (1985);