For those of us who remember the Star Wars program in the 80s, this was a plan to place satellites capable of neutralizing missiles and enemy satellites before they came down on the US. Its very announcement was an element leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now forty years later Russia is again trying to launch satellites armed with nuclear weapons.
I remember in the 70s when I was seconded to the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, ACDA, we met with the Soviets in Kirkland AFB to discuss technical issues of the treaty. My job was communications with seismic monitors. My Russian was limited but after a few vodkas and walking about I spoke with the Soviet representatives, likely KGB and others, and we both understood what a 50 MT weapon could do, not to mention hundreds. There would be nothing left except the proverbial cockroaches.
So have the Russians forgotten and has the Defense Department been spending too much time on tactical issues and none on strategic. To paraphrase a movie character, Forest Gump, "stupid is as stupid does".
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