U.S. ICBM DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPON VULNERABILITY STUDY

RECENT INITIATIVES, SUCH AS THE WORK OF THE DEFENSIVE TECHNOLOGIES STUDY TEAM ("FLETCHER SUMMER STUDY") HAVE EMPHASIZED BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE EMPLOYING DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPON (DEW). POSSIBLE DEPLOYMENT OF SUCH WEAPONS BY ADVERSARIES OF THE U. S. MAKES MANDA TORY THE UNDERSTANDING OF VULERABILITIES OF U. S. BALLISTI MISSILES OF THE SPECTRUM OF POSSIBLE THREATS. THIS STUDY IS THE FIRST PHASE IN EVALUATING ALL CLASSES OF VULNER ABILITIES (ELECTRONICS, STRUCTURAL FAILURE, PROPELLANT IGNITION,ETC.) TO THE RANGE OF DEW THREATS (CONVENTIOAL AND X-RAY LASERS AND PARTICLEBEAMS). THE EFFORT CONSISTS OF CATEGORIZING CLASSES OF MISSILE COMPONENTS (MISSILE SYSTEM),SUBSYSTEMS, AND PIECEPARTS); IDENTIFYING THE VARIOUS DEW THREATS, RANGE OF THREAT LEVELS AND THREAT LOCATION VS. LIKELY MISSILE MISSION "SCENARIOS"; ESTABLISHING VULNERABILITY LEVELS FOR THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS; AND THREAT LEVELS TO INDUCE FAILURE IN THE SENSITIVE COMPONENTS.