Use system engineering, not politics, for missile defense discussions

Technology now exists for a limited missile defense system that can protect a country against a few incoming missiles from other nations. This limited missile defense could also allow increased cooperation between the U.S., NATO, and Russia since all face similar threats. By working together to solve this problem, engineers and scientists could work together on even larger problems such as the spread of nuclear weapons. However, political issues and distrust have hindered cooperation on the limited missile defense system and other problems. This paper will provide background information on the current political issues facing missile defense. It will then discuss the system engineering approach that should be applied to major problems such as missile defense. It will then provide technical information on the proposed elements of the system planned for Europe and show how by sharing basic technical information the political standoff can be solved. Missile defense will continue to be a key technical and political issue facing the U.S. and the rest of the world as actors and requirements change. However, solid system engineering principles can help solve these problems.