Ballistic Missile Defense and the Fantasy of Security through an INF Treaty

It has been a while since the United States first placed its current intercontinental ballistic missile, the Minuteman III, in its hardened silos deep underground. In fact, it was first deployed in 1970 - back when Richard Nixon was president, and the internet, was still 13 years away.  

Times have changed and, and U.S. engineers have kept the Minuteman ICBM III ICBM ready through multiple life-extension programs. Still, there is only so much capability you can squeeze out of an old missile before replacement becomes necessary. 

No U.S. defense program is so sacred as to defy questions about its mission and capabilities, and GBSD is no exception, but the criticisms leveled against ICBMs in recent years typically take place in a vacuum of academic debate without regard to real-world consequences. These consequences deserve to be part of the debate on the need for ICBMs.

The two main fears of ICBMs are false alarms and cost.