From 2012

This 3 Part, 4+ hour Webinar Series is an overview that covers all aspects of missile defense. It starts with an understanding of new and evolving forms of missile threat that are emerging in this new world of asymmetric threats, potential terrorism, innovative technology and global risk. It explores the past missile threats to the US and develops a new view of possible defense mechanisms. It discusses threats to the US and to NATO Europe and possible defense architectures. With this background, the webinar reviews the basic theories of ballistic missiles and cruise missiles to establish realistic state of the art performance projections. Simple expressions are developed to establish possible bounds of key parameters. Cost of missile systems (platforms, missiles, radars, support) are examined. Timelines to acquire missile systems are reviewed. Risk expressed in measurable terms of investment and development times are reviewed. Liberal use of historical data is provided to bound the problem. A simple set of evaluation criteria is provided to assess competing missile defense systems including use of “conditional decision making” to help managers decide as less precise data and information is presented. The objective of the webinar is to provide a new approach to determining how best to defend a nation (or group of nations) from missile attack. It is also the objective to provide tools on how to measure “best defense.” It integrates technical evaluation with the less precise but all important political and programmatic factors in a controllable and repeatable manner.