High Energy Lasers: Applications for Ballistic Missile Defense

For decades, ballistic missile defense (BMD) has been among the most controversial dimensions of national defense. Since the termination of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002, the extensive proliferation of ballistic missiles on the world stage has prompted the gradual emergence of an international consensus supporting the acquisition of ballistic missile defense capabilities. The proliferation of ballistic missiles is abetted by the present, low cost of creating a formidable offensive ballistic missile capability—a feature which has provided aspiring weapons states with new opportunities to acquire strategic capabilities...