Star wars, sdi, or the strategic defense initiative was intended to defend the u. Current successes with new technologies as those achieved by the uss lake erie fall under the category of national missile defense. Definition of strategic defense initiative in the dictionary. The strategic defense initiative was introduced in 1983 and its ambitious goal was to develop a spacebased missile defense system that would protect the united states from nuclear attack. Strategic defense initiative sdi reagans proposed strategic defense initiative 1983, also known as star wars, called for a land or spacebased shield against a nuclear attack. The strategic defense initiative sdi star wars russel tarr. Star wars synonyms, star wars pronunciation, star wars translation, english dictionary definition of star wars.
Strategic defence initiative article about strategic. Strategic defense initiative sdi, byname star wars, proposed u. From the original name of the science fantasy motion picture star wars 1977. Strategic defense initiative students britannica kids. History of the united states strategic defense initiative. The strategic defense initiative sdi, or star wars was a proposed u.
The program is now administered by the missile defense agency originally the strategic defense initiative office, a separate agency in the u. Declaring the us was lagging the soviet union in the nuclear arms race, president ronald reagan launched the wildly ambitious strategic defense initiative to render soviet ballistic missiles. The strategic defense initiative was eventually abandoned, and after a few years, it was nothing other than a short chapter in history books. In particular, president ronald reagan sought to defend against nuclear missiles sent by the soviet union. This pamphlet presents a discussion of the various components of president reagans strategic defense initiative sdi including the problem of pulling together various new technologies into an. The goal of the strategic defense initiative, or sdi as it is commonly known, was to defend the united states from incoming nuclear missiles by a combination of land and spacebased weapons. It envisaged a very sophisticated system that would stop thousands of missiles within only a few minutes after launch, detection and warning. Discover strategic defense initiative books free 30day. Reviews and assesses the reagan administrations socalled star wars program or strategic defense initiative sdi. Mad was based on the assumption that both the ussr and the us would refrain from launching nuclear weapons, knowing that the other country would retaliate and cause the complete nuclear annihilation of. The concept was first announced publicly by president ronald reagan on march 23, 1983. Ronald reagan wanted a defensive umbrella over the us in space to shoot down incoming missiles like in star wars. The strategic defence initiative sdi also known as star wars. The strategic defense initiative, or star wars program, represented a shift in thinking about nuclear weapons because it.
The strategic defense initiative sdi was a major program for defense against soviet missiles championed by president ronald reagan beginning in 1983. An artists concept of the strategic defense initiative program called zenith star, space flight experiment demonstrating chemical lasers in space as a defensive weapon. Strategic defense initiative organization sdio agency overview formed 1984 dissolved 1993 renamed superseding agency ballistic missile defense organization missile defense agency jurisdiction federal government of the united states the strategic defense initiative sdi was proposed by u. In the early 1980s, star wars became the derisive nickname for the strategic defense initiative sdi, ronald reagans proposed defense strategy of destroying enemy weapons in. The strategic defense initiative the other star wars. The strategic defense initiative, progress and challenges. A nickname for the united states strategic defense initiative. The film series has spawned an extensive media franchise called the expanded universe including books, television series, computer. The strategic defense initiative sdi, also known as star wars, was the us response to possible nuclear attacks.
To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Because parts of the defensive system that reagan advocated would be based in space, the proposed system was. Star wars definition of star wars by the free dictionary. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. The concept was to form a defensive shield against a nuclear missile attack from the soviet union u. Since president reagan announced his strategic defense initiative sdi in 1983, there has been strong and powerful opposition to the idea, most of it from the left side of the political spectrum. The sdi is hard to comprehend for a more basic reason.
As the most thoughtful polemic in support of star wars it should be available for scholars in all university libraries. On march 23 rd, 1983, president ronald reagan announced the strategic defense initiative, signaling a massive paradigm shift in u. Appendix j articles by critics of the strategic defense. It is a vision of possible new defense technologies, not a reality. Star wars books synonyms, star wars books pronunciation, star wars books translation, english dictionary definition of star wars books. Abrahamson, director of the strategic defense initiative, there is to be an acceleration in the exploitation of the shuttle for star wars. The strategic defense initiative sdi star wars youtube. Although sdi was criticized as unfeasible and in violation of the antiballistic missile abm treaty, congress approved billions of dollars for development.
View strategic defense initiative and over 3,000,000 other topics on qwiki. The value of icbms and the new groundbased strategic deterrent. Mad had fostered an uneasy peace during the cold war as neither the u. Read strategic defense initiative books like laserstar and missiles in space for free with a free 30day trial. It is my understanding that the strategic defense initiative, what was known as star wars, was only in reference to the spacebased, xray laser technologies. Strategic defense initiative from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for other uses, see sdi. But the administration retained the term strategic defense initiative, and the nickname star wars which president reagan distinctly dislikes persisted.
Definition and summary of the strategic defense initiative star wars summary and definition. Ballistic missile defense organization or strategic defense initiative a proposed system of artificial satellites armed with lasers to. The project was called the strategic defense initiative, but democrats and their media cheerleaders mocked it as star wars, its announcement coming, as it did, shortly after reagans. Informal sdiorigin of star warsfrom the title of a 1977 sciencefiction film. James abrahamson, director of the strategic defense initiative organization, boston globe, january 14, 1987, p. Reagan was a vocal critic of the doctrine of mutual assured.
Strategic defense initiative facts for kids star wars strategic defense initiative facts 1. History of the united states strategic defense initiative sdi the strategic defense initiative sdi was an antiballistic missile system developed by the united states in the 1980s and early 1990s during the reagan administration. After graduating college in 1932, he found work as a radio sports announcer in iowa. The strategic defense initiative debates in congress first edition. Secrets of the strategic defense initiative, page 1. The strategic defense initiative appeared to be a missile defense system by another name. Ballistic missile defense organization or strategic defense initiative formerlyin the us a proposed system of artificial satellites armed with lasers to destroy enemy missiles in space. Discover the best strategic defense initiative books and audiobooks. Strategic defense initiative how is strategic defense. Because parts of the defensive system that reagan advocated would be. Strategic defense initiative star wars american historama.
This pamphlet presents a discussion of the various components of president reagans strategic defense initiative sdi including the problem of pulling together various new technologies into an effective defensive system and the politics of the socalled star wars system. Searching for star wars shows the very public pr battles over the program, including debates about its price and efficacy, while searching for strategic defense initiative shows the less public, but no less delicate, internal battles around how the program was perceived among agency heads and foreign nations. From the original name of the science fantasy motion. Over the next 3 decades, he appeared in more than 50 movies. Star wars what was the strategic defense initiative. It was first proposed by president ronald reagan in a nationwide television address on march 23, 1983. Strategic defense initiative sdi, commonly known as star wars, proposed u.
Minority report the ota warned that soviet nuclear antisatellite missiles could pose a significant threat to the strategic defense initiative sdi, especially if the system came under attack before it was. Learn from strategic defense initiative experts like charles solbrig and will anderson. Star wars books definition of star wars books by the. The strategic defense initiative was introduced on march 23, 1983 during the presidency of ronald reagan. Information and translations of strategic defense initiative in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Dubbed star wars after the 1977 movie, sdi represented reagans rejection of mutual assured destruction. President ronald reagan on march 23, 1983, to use groundbased and spacebased systems to protect the united states from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. Choice the author is a proponent of the strategic defense initiative, but he marshals the arguments against it as well as those for it in a fair manner. Star wars and strategic defense initiative history 12.
It does not yet exist in the form of concrete weapons systems. The sdi was first proposed by president ronald reagan in a nationwide television address on march 23, 1983. The response was the strategic defense initiative, a plan that would put in place a system of satellites to shoot icbms out of the sky as a nuclear deterrent from above. An important part of the defense initiative is the layered defense system in which starwars weapons attack nuclear. With bold intentions, the star wars program was hopeful of a revolutionary defense system, a system which was said to be nearly impenetrable.