European Missile Defense: Strategic Imperatives for NATO and Russia.

摘要

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has acknowledged the significant threat to the European continent posed by Iran s development of ballistic missile technology and, in defiance of international sanctions, its suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons. For the United States and NATO, the deployment of a credible Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) shield for the European continent is critical to deterring the Iranian regime from potential acts of aggression or extortion. To achieve this objective, it is in the best interests of the U.S. and NATO to garner Russian cooperation to deter Iran from leveraging its formidable ballistic missile arsenal. Building upon mutual interests and collective resolve as articulated at the 2010 NATO-Russia Lisbon summit, the United States, NATO, and Russia must develop credible measures to deter Iran from generating global fear and instability through its reckless agenda of proliferation and intimidation. This paper examines the current U.S./NATO missile defense strategy in Europe and will explore the strategic potential of a renewed NATO-Russia cooperative relationship for the purpose of dissuading, deterring and moderating Iranian nuclear ambitions and ballistic missile programs.