ABSTRACT
For the general public, the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Era began on January 18, 1991 when a Patriot missile intercepted an incoming Iraqi Scud-B missile over Saudi Arabia. The Patriot missile being used in 1991 was the PAC-2, an upgraded version of a missile that was originally designed for use against aircraft. Most of the people who saw the success of the Patriots in 1991 had no idea that defense specialists and various activists had been debating the feasibility and desirability of BMD since 1958. BMD opponents have been reluctant for a long time to acknowledge the similarity between active and passive defenses, yet still treat passive defenses as acceptable and active defense as anathema. The period between 1991 and 1993 produced mixed messages on BMD. The management and priorities of the Strategic Defense Initiative Office were criticized. Because most scientists in 1950s were convinced that BMD systems of that era could be overwhelmed, defense was not the critical variable.
