American Defense Shield – useless in terms of defense, valuable for job creation
Russia’s response to the American defense shield is a heavily debated topic in both media and the scientific community. What I didn’t know until recently is that the American defense shield is in practical terms very useless.
It is virtually impossible to create a shield that could keep off hostile missiles loaded with nuclear heads. If the attacking rocket splits up to form several missile heads, or by cooling down the rocket, or by creating distractions through devices resembling parachutes, it is already very easy to avoid being hit by counter-missiles. Is the missile defense system simply a huge job program for the American defense industry?
The Russian response in my opinion can be seen under the same terms. I don’t know why the Russians think that the defense shield is in any way a threat to them, with nuclear heads in abundance on both sides of the ocean, a hot war between Russia and the USA surely won’t be using the small rockets being placed in Poland and other Eastern European countries. But it gives the stimulus to channel gas money into the national defense industry.
Further articles on the topic: American Patriot, Former Spook, Sweetness & Light, Salvation Revelation, Putinwatcher.
Another interesting article (unfortunately not available for free) is the following one: Anthony Seaboyer, Oliver Thränert: What Missile Proliferation Means for Europe in: Survival, 48 (Sommer 2006) 2, S. 85-96
