By Jeremy SandovalBy Jeremy Sandoval

The Start of (SDI)The Start of (SDI)

The The Strategic Defense InitiativeStrategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was a (SDI) was a proposal by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on proposal by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23,1983 to use ground and space-based March 23,1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles.

The initiative focused on strategic defense rather The initiative focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic offense doctrine of than the prior strategic offense doctrine of mutual assured destruction (MAD).mutual assured destruction (MAD).

the research and technologies of SDI the research and technologies of SDI paved the way for some anti-ballistic paved the way for some anti-ballistic missile systems of today. missile systems of today.

It gained the popular name It gained the popular name Star WarsStar Wars after after the 1977 film by George Lucasthe 1977 film by George Lucas

Extended Range Interceptor Extended Range Interceptor (ERINT)(ERINT)

Under the administration of President Bill Under the administration of President Bill Clinton in 1993, its name was changed to Clinton in 1993, its name was changed to the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) (BMDO)

Extended Range Interceptor Extended Range Interceptor (ERINT)(ERINT)

The Extended Range Interceptor (ERINT) program was part of The Extended Range Interceptor (ERINT) program was part of SDI's Theater Missile Defense Program and was an extension SDI's Theater Missile Defense Program and was an extension of the Flexible Lightweight Agile Guided Experiment (FLAGE), of the Flexible Lightweight Agile Guided Experiment (FLAGE), which included developing hit-to-kill technology and which included developing hit-to-kill technology and demonstrating the guidance accuracy of a small, agile, radar-demonstrating the guidance accuracy of a small, agile, radar-homing vehicle.homing vehicle.

Homing Overlay Experiment Homing Overlay Experiment

The Homing Overlay Experiment (HOE) The Homing Overlay Experiment (HOE) was the first system tested by the Army was the first system tested by the Army that employed hit-to-kill.that employed hit-to-kill.

The Homing Overlay Experiment (HOE) The Homing Overlay Experiment (HOE) was the first successful hit-to-kill intercept was the first successful hit-to-kill intercept of a mock ballistic missile warhead outside of a mock ballistic missile warhead outside the Earth’s atmospherethe Earth’s atmosphere..