The article is devoted to an in-depth consideration of principal trends of the US AMD’s development.  The author shows the cyclical nature of this process that exerts a substantial impact on the Russian-US relationships in the sphere of AMD, as well on other aspects of the arms’ control. The pendency of the problem of eventual structure of the US AMD system is extremely serious as long as it inhibits the search of the Russian response to the US preparations in the sphere of AMD.