The latest missile defense update by Congressional Research Service analysts calls the development and deployment of missile defense both “elusive” and “divisive.” Among topics highlighted in the report: how the Bush Administration “sharply altered” the debate; why the Administration asserts the US deterrence theory is passé; why critics maintain the technology remains immature, and the whole thing is a “budget-buster.”
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.