Accession Number:

AD1026957

Title:

Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Corporate Author:

Congressional Research Service Washington United States

Personal Author(s):

• Woolf,Amy F.

Report Date:

2017-02-03

Pagination or Media Count:

47.0

Abstract:

Conventional prompt global strike CPGS weapons would allow the United States to strike targets anywhere on Earth in as little as an hour. This capability may bolster U.S. efforts to deter and defeat adversaries by allowing the United States to attack high-value targets or fleeting targets at the start of or during a conflict. Congress has generally supported the PGS mission, but it has restricted funding and suggested some changes in funding for specific programs. CPGS weapons would not substitute for nuclear weapons, but would supplement U.S. conventional capabilities. They would provide a niche capability, with a small number of weapons directed against select, critical targets. Some analysts, however, have raised concerns about the possibility that U.S. adversaries might misinterpret the launch of a missile with conventional warheads and conclude that the missiles carry nuclear weapons. The U.S. Department of Defense DOD is considering a number of systems that might provide the United States with long-range strike capabilities.

Descriptors:

• fleet ballistic missiles
• national security
• nuclear warheads
• rocket engines
• ballistic missiles
• theatre ballistic missiles
• ballistic trajectories
• military forces(united states)
• department of defense
• nuclear weapons
• military capabilities
• LONG RANGE (DISTANCE)
• surface targets
• strategic weapons
• booster rocket engines
• hypersonic vehicles
• reentry vehicles
• guided missiles

Subject Categories:

• Guided Missiles

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE