Time to seriously revisit SDI? Or a mere pipe dream?

[BlindedByScience]

Hypersonic missiles change everything.......

 

[Xaevian]

The SDI concept never really ended, only evolved even if the program was scrapped in the 90s. The US developed advanced, land based anti ballistic missile systems, highly capable satellite technology, and anti satellite systems instead of the space platforms that were envisioned (as far as we know).

SDI was more of a political move to drastically increase pressure on the USSR by theoretically removing the threat of their nuclear arsenal, and was a factor in the fall of the USSR. It was a policy shift away from mutually assured destruction (MAD) to a policy of ballistic missile obsolescence of everyone but the US (assured destruction?). A first strike by a foreign adversary would be mostly irrelevant and ineffective, but would result in assured destruction of the aggressor..

As for space treaties, I think only space based nuclear weapons are banned.

It would be probably foolish to presume actual space based weapons platforms have not already been deployed by at least the US. These would be disguised as aborted/malfunctioning satellites or mundane functioning ones.

 

[Diamondback]

And then there's the whole "fixed wings =USAF exclusive; rotary wings=Army exclusive; Navy and Marines do their own thing"

*USAF Pave Low taps you on shoulder with its refueling probe*