'FLECHETTE' BMD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00049R001203110026-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 24, 2006
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: October 6, 1981
• Content Type: MEMO

 C1, IT E1rR:~;'".1_ u `:= n `t NFAC #6350-81
Approved For Release 2007/02/08 CIA-RDP84B00049R001203110026-1
SP - 203/81
6 October 1981
Copy I
Chief, Interdepartmental Affairs Staff, OPP
Assistant National Intelligence Officer for Strategic Programs
"Flechette" BMD
MEMORANDUM FOR:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
1. According to U.S. Army officials, there was a "flechette" concept for
BMD under consideration at one time. It was one of many approaches to a "low-
cost" non-nuclear US BMD that have been studied and rejected.
--"Flechette" is defined as a "small dart-shaped projectile clustered
in an explosive warhead, dropped from an airplane, or fired from a hand-
held gun."
_:.--A "flechette BMD" would be one that called for saturation by small
projectiles of an air-space into which enemy RVs were entering. One
concept was that these small projectiles would be carried as the payload'
of an ABM, whose warhead would "explode" forward of incoming RVs. Another
concept was for a volley of inexpensive ground-based, high-acceleration
rockets with "flechettes" to be launched into the path of RVs coming in
to the target to be protected.
2. According to the Army, studies indicated that such a system would not
achieve "acceptable lethalities."
ARMY review(s) completed.
Approved For Release- 7(Q ~~,GI 4BOp(3 9R001203110026-1
, i 11 ?f r, f 'J t i~ 3_ T ., i
 25X1 Approved For Release 2007/02/08 : CIA-RDP84B00049R001203110026-1
Approved For Release 2007/02/08 : CIA-RDP84B00049R001203110026-1