Abstract
Anti-ballistic missiles are missiles designed to counter enemy’s ballistic missiles. First, the author compares strategic patterns reflecting various eras of the former bipolar world.
Their mutual balance of that time could be described as Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD). As long as MAD was a fact of life, the ABM Treaty fulfilled its important function as a cornerstone of strategic stability.
Keeping nuclear arsenals at a level which is not even justifiable is self-contradictory, as the military strategy and targeting policy is based on the capability of the other side, not on its intentions. Today’s Russian policy is shaped by the status-driven desire to deal with the United States from a position of power-related symmetry and strategic parity, by negating the unique position of the United States.
The American ballistic missile defence policy used to be also a central element of their containment strategy towards China. However, at present, Ballistic Missile Defence (BDM) sets as a top-priory the defence against the so-called rough states, rather than against Moscow or Beijing.