[PIF]

We stopped because we were limited by the Anti-ABM Treaty, but the Russians were not. Their solution has been to use nuclear warheads, and those have been on station around Moscow etc since before the treaty was signed.

Now they are using an S21 variant with nuclear warheads - sort of a broad spectrum spray. They are more than able to take out any ICBM, MIRVed or not. We are that far behind.

We, on the other hand, were trying to effect a direct hit on incoming missiles, a proposition not solved until lately, and only good against a few missile warheads at a time - a proposition the Russians never considered.

Then again in the 50s and 60s, Russian workers wearing their white paper overalls used to handle refined plutonium with their bare hands, so they willing to accept a bit of radiation to save the Motherland ... and, not to put too fine a point on it, those that survived said they would do it again.

[riverdawg]

We continued R&D on ABM systems, just not deployment, after the treaty was signed. I did some contract work on this through an ONR fig leaf in the mid70s. It’s fantasy to think that Russia could stop a full-on MIRV attack. They don’t believe it so why should we?