Particularly noteworthy in this regard, is the decision to all but cancel the promising Brilliant Pebbles space-based interceptor technology at the very moment that the Israeli government and the Western European Union (among others) are recognizing the indispensibility of the sort of boost-phase defense afforded by such a system.
The United States is obliged by economic realities and plain common sense to utilize technologies now in hand that would permit such a defense and such a deterrence option on a global basis and at the lowest possible cost namely, space-based interceptor and sensor technologies derided as "Star Wars" by the Clinton Administration and virtually defunded by its FY94 budget.
Specifically, the Bingaman-Shelby amendment would greatly retard progress being made on space-based interceptors known as Brilliant Pebbles in favor of a limited deployment of a single layer of ground-based interceptor missiles and open-ended research on more exotic directed energy technologies devices that would come on-line (if at all) far down-stream.
Gaffney noted that there is important technological, programmatic and strategic synergy to be obtained by complementing the impressive work now being performed by Israel and the United States under the Arrow interceptor program with rapid deployment of a space-based strategic defense.