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This is why the ABMT was in my opinion one of the most important recent arms control treaties. Making sure you cannot defend yourself against a second strike wi
by waffleiron 3y ago
This is why the ABMT was in my opinion one of the most important recent arms control treaties. Making sure you cannot defend yourself against a second strike with high likelihood will prevent a first strike.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Ballistic_Missile_Treaty https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Ballistic_Missile_Treaty
- denton-scratch 3y agoYeah, that reasoning seems broken to me. An ABM system can be developed surreptitiously; it wouldn't be easy to distinguish ordinary research launches from ABM test launches, or to distinguish ABMs from other kinds of air-defense missile. Patriots, for example, are supposedly able to defend against ballistic missiles. If you can't detect another state developing ABM systems, then the treaty becomes unenforceable, and is a destabilising factor.
- waffleiron 3y agoThe treaty ran for 50 years, and was extended within that time. There was thus obvious value to it.
- denton-scratch 3y agoNon-sequitur? People don't sign treaties that prevent them from doing whatever it is they want to do. It follows that the parties didn't want to develop/overcome ABM systems. When one of the parties changed their mind (under Ronald Ray-guns), the treaty ended. But it turned out to be very difficult and expensive to build an ABM system that can protect much more than an airbase from ballistic missiles. Protecting something like the entire continental USA was infeasible.