Arlington, VA, September 15, 1998--The Air Force Association said the United States should withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which has effectively prohibited the most effective and promising approaches to national missile defense.

In its 1998-1999 Force Capabilities Issue Paper, the association called attention to the recent nuclear explosions in India and Pakistan and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. "AFA believes the time has come for the United States to vigorously pursue a national missile defense capability and to deploy it as soon as is possible," the paper said.

"Currently, the nation has no defense at all against long-range ballistic missiles launched against US soil, and forward-deployed US and allied forces have only limited 'lower-tier'defenses against a growing threat from theater ballistic missiles, " the paper noted.

AFA pointed to the recent findings of the Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States, which was chaired by former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. In its findings, which were delivered to Congress in July, the Commission disputed a 1995 National Intelligence Estimate that maintained that the missile threat to the United States is at least 15 years away. To the contrary, the Commission concluded that the threat is here and now.

The paper argued that, instead of perpetuating the ABM Treaty and the vulnerability inherent in an offense-only approach, the United States should begin to explore an accommodation with Russia through a new framework for arms control that incorporates both offensive and defensive systems. "AFA believes it is time to move beyond concepts like the offensive retaliation doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction," the issue paper stated. "These Cold War notions, which are enshrined in the ABM Treaty, detract from, rather than enhance, the security of the United States."

According to the issue paper, which was adopted unanimously by delegates to AFA's 1998 National Convention and Technology Exposition, the Air Force Association remains firm in its support of both theater and national ballistic missile defenses.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Stephen P. Aubin, Director of Communications

(202) 745-2121 [Sept. 14-16]; (703) 247-5850 [after Sept. 16]

The Air Force Association is an independent, non-profit, civilian aerospace organization whose objective is to promote greater understanding of the role aerospace power plays in national defense. AFA is a grass-roots organization with a membership of 150,000. The Air Force Association was incorporated in the District of Columbia on February 4, 1946.