Strategic Defense Initiative

The Strategic Defense Initiative, a.k.a. SDI, was President Ronald Reagan's 1983 proposed Star Wars program that "called for a land- or space-based shield against a nuclear attack. Although SDI was criticized as unfeasible and in violation of the Antiballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty), Congress approved billions of dollars for development."

Also see Wikipedia: Strategic Defense Initiative.

Speeches by President Reagan

 * Announcement of Strategic Defense Initiative, March 23, 1983.
 * Strategic Defense Initiative, December 28, 1984.
 * Foreword Written for a Report on the Strategic Defense Initiative [The foreword was printed in the report entitled The President's Strategic Defense Initiative--January 1985 (Government Printing Office, 10 pages), which was issued at the White House on January 3], December 28, 1984.
 * Radio Address to the Nation on the Strategic Defense Initiative, July 13, 1985.

SDI
Hutchinson Encyclopedia/UK: "Strategic Defence Initiative":
 * "US programme (1983-93) to explore the technical feasibility of developing a comprehensive defence system against incoming nuclear missiles, based in part outside the Earth's atmosphere. The programme was started by President Ronald Reagan in March 1983, and was overseen by the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO). In May 1993, the SDIO changed its name to the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO), to reflect its focus on defence against short-range rather than long-range missiles. SDI lives on today in the less ambitious National Missile Defense (NMD) programme.


 * "The aim of SDI was to create a defence shield that would protect the USA from a full nuclear missile attack by the Soviet Union or other hostile nuclear powers. This would end reliance on offense-dominated deterrence (Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)) through a balance of terror. Enemy missiles would be attacked at several different stages of their trajectory, using advanced laser and particle-beam technology, thus increasing the chances of disabling them."

Related SourceWatch Resources
In particular, see:
 * Bush administration: return to space
 * Bush doctrine
 * Reagan doctrine
 * environmental warfare
 * evil empire
 * weaponization of space
 * High Frontier

General Information

 * Strategic Defense Initiative: Glossary of Terms.
 * Strategic Defense Initiative, The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition (2001).
 * Strategic Defense Initiative, infoplease.com.
 * Strategic Defense Initiative, encyclopedia.com.
 * Weapons of Mass Destruction: Strategic Defense Initiative, Federation of American Scientists.

Articles & Commentary

 * Possible Soviet Responses to the US Strategic Defense Initiative, Interagency Intelligence Assessment, Approved for Release Central Intelligence Agency Historical-Review Program (Secret), NIC M 83-10017, 12 September 1983.
 * Stephen J. Cimbala, The Strategic Defense Initiative. Political Risks, Maxwell AFB, 1985.
 * LCDR Michael P. Kompanik, The Strategic Defense Initiative: "Star Wars" Becoming A Reality. "The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) will provide the United States with a viable means to defend itself, its allies, and its forces overseas from limited ballistic missile attack." (1992).
 * 1993 Report to the Congress on the Strategic Defense Initiative prepared by the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization. (65-page pdf).
 * Chapter 3, Section 5: Medium and Light Military Space Operations. Strategic Defense Initiative Missions and the NATO IVA Mission, The Cape: Miltary Space Operations 1971-1992 by 45 Space Wing Office of History, Patrick AFB.
 * STAR WARS--THE SEQUEL (Transcript), PBS/Online NewsHour, June 4, 1996.
 * Editorial: "The SDI Imperative. (Need for Strategic Defense Initiative or other missile defense system)," National Review, February 22, 1999.