Ballistic Missile Defense. Det amerikanska programmet - Säkerhetspolitiska konsekvenser

Four years after the Rumsfeld commission report on the increasing missile threat to the United States the American missile defense program is evolving on all fronts. In addition to President Clinton´s missile defense of the American homeland, landsea- and airbased systems are constructed for area defense of American and allied troops and installations abroad and also boost phase missile defense. Several European nations and Japan participate in the development of the systems. The costs are at the level of American tactical combat aircraft. After thirty of Mutual assured Destruction, MAD, the united states is turning to a mixed nuclear strategy with a build down of strategic offensive weapons and a build of defensive weapons. BMD is a cornerstone of this strategy that will be implemented regardness of the outside reaction. almost all American decisionsmakers see the need for some kind of missile defense; the question is the scope of the system and consultation with allies. Leading European strategists consider that strategic stability not has occured since 1993 and that BMD thus cannot pose a threat to this imaginary stability. Russia has not pursued its threat of nuclear rearmament but, on the contrary, offered to cooperative with NATO in the BMD field. While the Europeans have many opinions on BMD the Asians where BMD first will be deployed have kept a low profile. The report warns against a militarization of space that, however, can occur only in a decades. Sweden that had nothing to do with the ABM and START agreements should concentrate its effort on the problems of nuclear proliferation that will be a central issue and where Sweden has competence.