War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with Robert Walquist, 1987
Description:
Robert Walquist was a senior executive at TRW Corporation who was closely involved with research on the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). He recalls that defense contractors generally reacted with surprise at President Reagan's speech announcing SDI. He goes on to explain some of the inner workings of defense contracting, how a company gets involved in a new government program, how it works with government laboratories and other institutions, and how it handles changing budget levels. He notes that SDI in some aspects has built on research - on lasers, for example - that has long been underway. He describes the current state of play on the laser test program with which TRW is involved, and what the next steps will be if the government chooses it over a rival program. He believes a space-based defense system will never be perfect but would provide protection for the population it serves.
