Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
Definition
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons. It was announced by President Ronald Reagan in 1983.
Analogy
Think of SDI as an umbrella that the U.S. wanted to build over itself to shield from raining missiles. Just like an umbrella can't stop all raindrops, critics argued that SDI wouldn't be able to stop all incoming missiles, but it was designed with the intention of providing some level of protection.
Related terms
Star Wars Program: This is another name for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), coined due to its futuristic technology and space-based systems.
Ballistic Missile: A missile that follows a ballistic trajectory with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target.
Cold War: A period of geopolitical tension between powers in the Eastern Bloc and powers in the Western Bloc after World War II. The development of SDI was part of this larger conflict.
"Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)" appears in:
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Practice Questions (4)
What was the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)?
What was the purpose of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) according to Reagan?
What would likely have been the impact on U.S.-Soviet relations if President Reagan had not implemented the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)?
What might have been a likely outcome if President Reagan had not initiated the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in 1983?
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