Succeeding at Integrated Air and Missile Defense

Time is of the essence when it comes to air and missile defense. More than 30 countries and a growing number of non-state adversaries have some type of ballistic or cruise missile capability, making air and missile defense key to keeping our critical sites and forces safe.

Notably, North Korea’s ability to perform testing demonstrates international pressure isn’t a deterrent against a growing ballistic missile program. It’s apparent they are making technological and military progress and their potential arsenal is worthy of a strong deterrence strategy. And it’s not just North Korea, there is a repeatable strategy that other countries could employ in an attempt to limit  the U.S. military’s options.

The U.S., its partners, and allies must take a comprehensive approach against air and missile threats. Diverse military capabilities exist and, when maximized, the value of these combined capabilities is powerful. But it requires integration of technical capabilities, planning, policy, and supporting efforts, which can be challenging. 

These actions are foundational to this comprehensive approach:

• Create interoperable systems that can share data, enabling greater efficiency for assessing tactical situations and follow on actions
  
  
• Synthesize modeling and simulation data from the U.S. as well as allied and partner systems so that operational planners can explore potential outcomes, including how to evade an offensive strike
  
  
• Discuss integrated policy for Integrated Air and Missile Defense as its political and diplomatic dimensions necessitate an interagency approach. 

And finally, be better at communicating the impact of threat missiles and adversary operations. It’s critical that these issues be widely understood for supporting efforts, such as training, logistics, and force structure.