Red SDI

GORBACHEV’S LITTLE SECRET

The Soviet Union has put a great deal of effort into trying to stop the development of an American SDL Its main argument is that such development will escalate the arms race, and many in the West accept that argument. The Soviet Union stated that it would be forced to initiate its own strategic-defense system and space based weapons if America went forward. With becoming modesty, Mr. Gorbachev neglected to mention that the Soviet strategic-defense system was developed long ago—it was an official branch of the Soviet armed forces in the Sixties. One can argue about the effectiveness of the Soviet system in a full-scale nuclear war, but as long as it is capable of reasonably protecting the vital areas of the country—and is being continually upgraded—that counts for a great deal. And there is no doubt that it is effective against an accidentally launched missile. Of course, many warn that SDI would accelerate the arms race. Khrushchev and Brezhnev did not, however, find themselves accused of accelerating the arms race by developing and deploying the Soviet SDI. Nor does Mr. Gorbachev see anything wrong with the Soviet Union’s currently possessing and even modernizing it.

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Victor Orlov

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GORBACHEV’S LITTLE SECRET

The Soviet Union has put a great deal of effort into trying to stop the development of an American SDL Its main argument is that such development will escalate the arms race, and many in the West accept that argument. The Soviet Union stated that it would be forced to initiate its own strategic-defense system and space based weapons if America went forward. With becoming modesty, Mr. Gorbachev neglected to mention that the Soviet strategic-defense system was developed long ago—it was an official branch of the Soviet armed forces in the Sixties. One can argue about the effectiveness of the Soviet system in a full-scale nuclear war, but as long as it is capable of reasonably protecting the vital areas of the country—and is being continually upgraded—that counts for a great deal. And there is no doubt that it is effective against an accidentally launched missile. Of course, many warn that SDI would accelerate the arms race. Khrushchev and Brezhnev did not, however, find themselves accused of accelerating the arms race by developing and deploying the Soviet SDI. Nor does Mr. Gorbachev see anything wrong with the Soviet Union’s currently possessing and even modernizing it.