Defending against theater and intercontinental ballistic missiles, potentially carrying nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, requires 100% effectiveness--anything less continues to afford our enemies weapons of mass effect. If the U.S. is to be successful in answering this threat, a re-evaluation of boost phase intercept (BPI) options is in order. This paper highlights the ballistic missile threat and joint defense systems; provides an assessment of those systems; re-evaluates BPI merits; and proposes a kinetic boost phase solution (with concept of operations) to bridge the potential fielding of space-base weapons. Early engagement provides better, faster, cheaper and less destabilizing missile defense capability. "Heads, not tails" sounds a call to the Missile Defense Agency, Strategic Command and all Services to commit to producing BPI capability (first kinetic, then directed energy), ahead of other systems and upgrades.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
