V. N. KONYSHEV Doctor of Political Science A. A. SERGUNIN Doctor of Political Science Saint Petersburg State University Keywords: missile defense, USA, Middle East, security The article analyzes the US policy in the Middle East on the creation of missile defense systems (ABM). The authors find out the motives that push Washington to create and / or support the efforts of its allies to deploy such systems, assess the current state of missile defense programs in the region, as well as possible consequences for the regional security system. The creation of regional missile defense systems with the active participation or under the control of the United States began almost immediately after Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the 1972 ABM Treaty, which occurred in 2002. These actions were far from accidental, since the United States never stopped scientific research in this area-just remember Reagan's "Strategic Defense Initiative". And after the end of the Cold War, the view gradually prevailed in American military and political circles that the 1972 Treaty was outdated and bound the US initiative to consolidate global leadership. As a result, the missile defense issue is now virtually out of legal control, and the spread of such systems in various regions of the world can seriously change the military balance of power. CREATED MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEMS In technical terms, the basis of the missile defense systems that the United States proposes to create in various regions of the world are mobile and transportable elements, which allows them to quickly move them to crisis regions of the world. In particular, these are batteries of THAAD (Theater High Altitude Area Defense) mobile anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs), used to intercept ballistic missiles in the final part of the trajectory (when entering the atmosphere). The complex is designed to combat short-and medium-range missiles, operates at altitudes of 30-150 km and at page 18 ranges up to 200 km. The capabil ... Read more