33 Minutes. That’s all it takes for a ballistic missile to strike anywhere in the United States, at most. “33 Minutes” is the title of a forthcoming documentary by the conservative American think tank The Heritage Foundation.

Heritage is seeking to rise awareness and support for missile defense through the film.

Missile defense is a multi-faceted process that involves many systems. In the initial boost phase (3 - 5 minutes) a launching missile is detected by Airborne lasers and a on-ground Kinetic Energy Interceptor. Then in the Midcourse Phase (up to 30 minutes) the missile course information is transmitted to a command center that then in the Terminal Phase (30 seconds to 1 minute) launches either a Patriot missile of a Thaad missile in the hope of knocking out the missile.

It is this missile defense that is being installed in Poland and the Czech Republic that has greatly stirred the ire of Russia, which views such measures as unwarranted American presence in its near-abroad.