CONVENTIONAL MISSION ALTERNATIVES FOR LAND-BASED ICBMS

THE U.S. IS FACED WITH A GROWING NUMBER OF THIRD WORLD AND NON-SOVIET THREATS, SOME OF WHICH POSSESS OR MAY SOON POSSESS FORMIDABLE WEAPONS - BOTH OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE. EXPERIENCE SHOWS THE NECESSITY OF MAINTAINING A GLOBAL CAPABILITY TO DELIVER QUICK SURGICAL STRIKES, AS EVIDENCED BY THE SUCCESSFUL RAID ON LIBYA. IN THIS NEW ENVIRONMENT, IT WOULD BE HIGHLY DESIRABLE TO HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE MEANS TO DELIVER FIREPOWER WHICH DOES NOT RISK U.S. CASUALTIES AND IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON THE AVAILABILITY OF FOREIGN BASES. ICBMS ARMED WITH CONVENTIONAL MUNITIONS PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE WHICH CARRIES WITH IT THE BENEFITS OF SHORT TIME OF FLIGHT, HOME BASING, AND A COMPLETE LACK OF BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSES TO OPPOSE THEM IN THE THEATERS OF INTEREST. THE UTILITY AND COST EFFECTIVENESS OF CONVENTIONALLY ARMED ICBMS MUST BE EVALUATED AND COMPARED WITH TRADITIONAL ALTERNATIVES WHOSE COSTS AND RISKS ARE ON THE RISE. THE PROPOSED EFFORT WILL IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVE MISSIONS AND CANDIDATE DESIGN CONCEPTS. ANALYTIC TOOLS WILL BE DEVELOPED WHICH ENABLE AN ASSESSMENT OF COST EFFECTIVENESS FOR A PARTICULAR MISSION TO BE TREATED AS A CASE STUDY. THE CASE STUDY PROPOSED IS A RE-EXAMINATION OF THE LIBYA RAID AND HOW IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED WITH CONVENTIONAL WARHEADS ON ICBMS. PROVIDE BMO WITH THE RATIONALE AND STRATEGY TO CONVERT AND/OR DEVELOP CONVENTIONALLY ARMED ICBMS FOR USE IN SURGICAL STRIKE AND OTHER SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATIONS.