Over the course of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. and its partners have fired hundreds of defense interceptors and long-range missiles. While there may be sufficient stocks for the task at hand, other objectives, such as deterring aggression by China, are more uncertain. To manage present and future threats, Congress must pass a munitions supplemental to both replenish and expand.
The Trump administration’s Golden Dome initiative is both strategically necessary and long overdue. It is also already in jeopardy of failure. The reason? A lack of dialogue and persuasion. If the Pentagon does not start explaining Golden Dome, it will never be built.
Today’s global threat landscape is accompanied by the advent of a new missile age, one defined by a surge in the global supply and demand for a broad and diverse spectrum of strike capabilities as well as the means to counter them.
New guidance for implementing the Missile Technology Control Regime will make it moderately easier for the United States to sell UASs to allies. But more fundamental reform is still needed to adapt the nonproliferation regime to today’s strategic environment.
Artillery has long been known as the “king of battle,” and for good reason. The future of warfare will likely be characterized by an increased demand signal for offensive and defensive fires.
Affordable mass has become the watchword of defense modernization, be it swarms of drones or satellite constellations. What could such an approach mean for air and missile defense? Networks of passive, proliferated sensors could make one meaningful contribution.
Auctioning the low-3 S-band spectrum for commercial 5G use poses serious national security risks, potentially interfering with military radar and missile defense systems. Given escalating air and missile threats, the U.S. should maintain exclusive military access to this spectrum while continuing to study long-term sharing options.
Small drones present a serious threat on the modern battlefield. This report examines the threat, the various kinetic and non-kinetic defenses available to defeat them, and how the U.S. Department of Defense has approached this air defense mission across the joint force.
The Iron Dome system is capable and combat proven, but it does not match the U.S. Army’s needs. After several years of experimenting, it's time to move on.
