When Ronald Reagan introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in 1983, he boldly challenged the long-accepted nuclear doctrine of “mutual assured destruction.” He argued that the development of this costly and complex missile defense system, popularly known as “Star Wars,” was the only viable and real alternative to the ongoing proliferation of nuclear weapons. While Reagan’s vision unwittingly accelerated the end of the Cold War, SDI soon became a program shrouded in controversy. Costs soared and researchers struggled to develop the essential and successful technologies, although the threat of an atomic exchange with the former Soviet Union no longer loomed on the horizon. Despite those factors, SDI has survived.

It remains in the active stages of development more than two decades after it was introduced, even as American policy makers struggle to counter the emerging threat posed by “rogue states” engaged in the active pursuit and development of atomic weapons. Lacking any political agenda, Strategic Defense in the Nuclear Age presents a concise, up-to-date overview of the history of SDI, chronicling its successes and failures through the ongoing evolution of the program.