European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 13, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                If. Gen. James a Abro Hartan it is imperative thai to have a much mor effect have defense than they  weighing pros and cons of . Star wars in strategy the russian response by Charles Mohr new York times he debate Over the Star wars missile defense program is increasingly shilling of arguments a scout its real military value As opposed to its Mere technical feasibility. Would a space and land based shield against missiles offer meaningful pre Lection to the United states or even in it were to become scientifically plausible would it instead weaken american s military Power most experts agree that present and prospective Solel actions will Bear heavily on the answers. But whatever those answers Are they will be crucial to what it Gen. James a. Abrahamson director of the strategic defense initiative organization the official name for the american missile defense research program says will ultimately be the most Complex and complicated decision Ever laced by an american b and John e. Pike a space analyst for the federation of american scientists who is generally critical o the program agrees he adds however it is roughly comparable to the Hayes a ministral Ion s trying to decide if it wanted to buy an air  in most cases the exact nature of the soviet response to Star wars and when the response will materialize is still Uncertain and under Date pirate. N a recent interview Abrahamson said he Only responsible course Al least As the future looks now a or the Kremlin los Eek countermeasures Lii Al might Bailie or Al least degrade an american defense. They Ere certainly going to try he said. A soviet military specialist Las month outlined possible counter Steps to turn United Stales space defense systems into useless junk the Pentagon had no immediate reply to the Soviel Grilec s Contention thai Solel Counie Steps including Dummy missiles and coated rockets could Cost "1 or 2 percent of the Cost of a Star wars system. A Corw Oquend of american expectations of the soviet response according to the general s key deputies is hat an analysis is now being done to see How a Star wars defense could be most seriously threatened or damaged by soviet countermeasures and tactics. An example is a new study of space weapon platforms to see if their Maneule ability can give More pre Lection than hardening the weapons with protective Armor. Another study seeks 10 find How a Shoal Back system meant to protect itself irom attack might work in combat. There is widespread agreement that the soviet Union has been conducting Large scale research on some advanced missile defense technologies since the 1960s, and that the Effort is determined and expensive. But most experts in soviet affairs and strategic issues continue to say the greatest Short term danger is not soviet emulation of the american Star wars program. Rather they say. A greater threat is that the soviet monday january 13, 1983 Union would elect to significantly increase the numbers and striking Power of its Olle Sivc missile Lorce. Develop a wide array of counter measures and possibly create nationwide More traditional land based Antl ballistic missiles or abm systems prohibited by the 1972 abm treaty. At the Summit meeting in Geneva last november Mikhail s. Gorbachev the Soviel Leader warned that the Soviel Union would develop countermeasures in Star wars work continues and the system is deployed saying the Soviel counter measure a Wilt be effective though less expensive arid quicker to  there Haa never been any ambiguity Abou Soviel officials repeated threats of e missile buildup. In an interview last fall marshal Sergei f. Fakhro Modyev. Chief of the Soviel general stall said of the Star wars testing ii this process goes on we will have nothing to do but to Lake up retaliatory measures in the held of both offensive and defensive  almost As soon As president Reagan proposed the Star wars concept declaring in March 1983 speech that his Long Range intention was to make nuclear weapons impotent and obsolete the Admi is Iralson recognized that a soviet buildup of offensive arms in reaction would be a major problem. Senior officials have stressed that the administration s Hope Lor a highly elective defense rests in considerable part on a mutually agreed reduction in offensive weapons a diminution of the nuclear threat with which future defences would have to Deal. This does not necessarily contradict Abrahamson s theory of responsible  both could exist Al the same time one nation could reduce is offensive weapons build up its defensive ones and at the same time develop Means of countering its enemy s defences. Abm Hanson said such High development of defense must be done in Iho context of dramatically lowering offensive weapons this is something that must be  he added that even partial Del Csc is stabilizing Lor soviet american relations. The administration theory is Hal defense is inherently Good and thai even in a near Perl act defense is never feasible any level of defense will enhance deterrence of nuclear War. John l. Gardner the defensive systems director under Abrahamson. Explained this Point of View. His argument is that even a far from perfect ballistic missile defense will be valuable because in will decrease the Confidence of soviet attack planners dint Fiey can achieve their attack goals thus drastically decreasing the possibility of a nuclear Exchange. For Gardner and for almost All other administration strategic thinkers it is an article of Faith Hal the russians planning their attack would locus on targeting american strategic nuclear forces command control and communications centers the National leadership and other military targets. Another problem lies in trying to ascertain at wha Point exactly the russians will respond to american defensive systems. They have promised to answer american deployment of a Star wars defense and have also demanded an end to All research on strategic missile defense technologies. The United states argues that pure Laboratory research cannot be prohibited because it is impossible to verify such an agreement. To fact late last year the soviets unofficially acknowledged this. Vadim v. Zag Ladin first Deputy Chieto the International department of the communist party Central committee said the key was How to draw the line Between Basic and applied  with the latter to be prohibited. Intelligence specialist in the administration contend that soviet research programs in advanced missile defense technologies in some cases surpass United Stales programs in size and in possible Progress. A joint slate department defense department report last tall on soviet strategic Welense programs said that the russians could have prototypes of ground based lasers to Knock out ballistic missiles As Early As the end of the 1980s. But the report added the More conservative note that an actual operational soviet defense shield probably could not be deployed continue a on Page 14 the stars and stripes Page 13