By Dave Mann, Dick Gallagher
“Success no longer goes to the province that develops a novel technology scientific discipline first, but rather to the ane that improve integrates it together with adapts its means of fighting…Cultivating a lethal, agile strength requires to a greater extent than than simply novel technologies together with posture changes; it depends on the mightiness of our warfighters together with the Department workforce to integrate novel capabilities together with suit warfighting approaches. -SECDEF Mattis; 2018 National Military Strategy
The Threat
It has never been to a greater extent than of import to integrate our electrical flow together with hereafter air together with missile defence capabilities, particularly considering the electrical flow global threat environment. Potential adversaries receive got carefully observed U.S. successes inwards recent conflicts together with try to exploit perceived gaps together with vulnerabilities. Given the toll of fielding large land, air, together with maritime formations, many are turning to relatively cheaper together with “difficult to defend against”
technologies similar ballistic missile together with cyber capabilities. According to recent testimony yesteryear Defense Department officials, global trends bespeak ballistic together with cruise missiles are becoming to a greater extent than capable due to the proliferation of advanced technologies together with countermeasures…resulting inwards systems alongside global reach, increasing speed, increasing survivability, together with greater accuracy. In fact, many countries are developing ground, sea, together with air-launched cruise missiles, alongside nearly xxx countries also possessing ballistic missile capabilities. In addition, threat actors are leveraging commercially available unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to farther complicate the air together with missile defence environment. According to Secretary Mattis, “…the 2019 budget funds enhancements to U.S. missile defence capabilities to defend the homeland, our deployed forces, allies, together with partners against an increasingly complex ballistic missile threat. In accordance alongside the soon-to-be-released 2018 Missile Defense Review, this budget requests continued robust back upwards for missile defence capacity together with capability to maintain footstep alongside advancing threats”. Importance of integration
Although the importance of integration has often been discussed, its acquit on on missile defence operations cannot live on overstated. As discussed above, the threat has non taken a tactical pause, but continues to develop improved air together with missile capabilities. With this inwards mind, ane of the overarching attributes of a genuinely integrated organization is the mightiness to seamlessly physical care for information from multiple sensors together with link to the most capable kinetic, together with inwards the future, non-kinetic capabilities. This capability is particularly critical given the myriad threats that are expected to expand inwards complexity together with numbers.
Integration also provides redundancy together with increased opportunities for engagement, piece reducing the acquit on of organization gaps together with vulnerabilities (e.g., lack of 360-degree coverage, unmarried points of failure, etc.). Historically, at that spot receive got e'er been to a greater extent than assets to defend…than available Air together with Missile Defense (AMD) systems. It’s fair to say at that spot volition never live on plenty AMD systems to protect all assets but maximizing existing, together with hereafter capabilities volition significantly expand our defended property footprint together with shot opportunities.
It is also of import to recognize integration’s acquit on on potential changes to our electrical flow shot doctrine…or appointment procedures. In many cases, decisions regarding shot doctrine are made at the highest levels due to its strength protection implications, particularly when dealing alongside existential threats. Integrating C2 nodes,
Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Complex Romania
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
sensors, together with weapons inwards existent time, without errors, fully enables a shoot-assess-shoot shot doctrine—where crews employ ane interceptor per threat together with thence exclusively employ a minute when the offset is unsuccessful. Therefore, integration expands our inventory together with capabilities yesteryear reducing the number of interceptors required to prosecute a given threat.
No ane disputes the fact that AMD systems are inherently expensive. Currently, AMD expenditures correspond the quaternary most costly portfolio inwards the Army’s budget. In fact, integration really reduces the cost-per-intercept yesteryear optimizing capabilities piece lessening the acquit on of organization limitations on the mission. Finally, no give-and-take on the importance of integration would live on consummate without discussing cost-sharing opportunities. The mightiness to part the resources burden amidst services together with our allies is significant, particularly given the toll of technology scientific discipline together with competing claimants for these limited resources. Foreign state of war machine sales play an of import purpose inwards upgrading electrical flow capabilities piece investing inwards hereafter technologies. Bottom line: the mightiness to integrate compatible AMD systems fielded yesteryear the U.S. together with its allies significantly heighten both our readiness together with U.S. competitiveness abroad.
Current Efforts
For many years, U.S. AMD forces receive got been deployed throughout the world. Currently, U.S. together with Republic of Korea (ROK) forces operate several U.S.- made BMD platforms to defend against brusk together with medium-range North Korean missiles. Republic of Korea is also scheduled to deploy its ain short-range BMD organization yesteryear the early on 2020s. Meanwhile, the Japanese receive got invested inwards their ain integrated BMD organization together with are currently partnering alongside the U.S. on the Standard Missile three program. Nihon also operates 4 Aegis BMD ships alongside plans to build 4 additional ships together with two Aegis Ashore sites yesteryear the early on 2020s. As our allies maintain to improve their BMD capability, it’s imperative nosotros integrate Command together with Control (C2), sensors together with weapons to part information together with to a greater extent than importantly, to ensure organization compatibility.
Turning to the other side of the world, the U.S. has a long together with well-established history of working alongside allies throughout Europe together with the Middle East on ballistic missile challenges. In fact, many of our partners receive got purchased, or are considering purchasing additional U.S. AMD systems. That said, cyber-protection, the releasability of data, together with operating standards maintain to introduce to a greater extent than or less of the most challenging impediments to total integration. The utilisation of tabletop exercises tin lavatory serve every bit an of import tool to address these issues cost-effectively yesteryear rigorously testing together with integrating diverse sensors, weapons, together with C2 systems inwards simulated environments.
“Our approach to IAMD must live on inclusive alongside our NATO allies together with telephone commutation partners every bit nosotros human face upwards a growing ballistic missile threat from regional adversaries. We demand to facial expression at our inter-operability alongside our allies because nosotros can’t produce this inwards Europe correctly without doing it together.” -GEN Curtis Scaparrotti inwards testimony earlier the House Arms Services Committee, Feb 2018
To address the challenges of integration together with interoperability, many partner nations receive got undertaken efforts to optimize their electrical flow AMD systems. Like the U.S., NATO has publicly stated the objective of ensuring systems are “interoperable, part the same command together with command opened upwards architecture, together with accomplish the “any sensor, whatsoever shooter” capability. The vision of a fully integrated AMD organization alongside a mutual motion painting shared amidst U.S. together with partner land sensors together with shooters is clearly a warfighter’s need.
The U.S. Army is currently working alongside manufacture to develop an Integrated Air together with Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) that provides an “any sensor, best shooter capability,” a unmarried integrated air picture, together with addresses air together with missile threats coming from whatsoever direction. Recent efforts receive got successfully identified, tracked, together with destroyed cruise missile surrogates using sensors together with interceptors from diverse systems. The Army anticipates fielding an initial operating capability (IOC) yesteryear FY 2022. In fact, Poland lately signed a missive of the alphabet of credence to teach IBCS to integrate its electrical flow together with hereafter AMD systems. IBCS is moving inwards the right management together with is the equivalent of adding to a greater extent than or less other arrow to the warfighter’s quiver.
Turning to the Navy, the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) provides a sensor network alongside integrated fire control to significantly improve air together with missile defense capabilities. By combining information from multiple air search sensors, CEC tin lavatory constitute a single, real-time, composite rail picture, greatly enhancing fleet air defence yesteryear making jamming to a greater extent than hard together with allocating defensive missiles on a battle grouping basis. CEC is also moving inwards the right management to encounter the warfighter’s need.
Additionally, the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Command together with Control, Battle Management together with Communications (C2BMC) organization currently play an of import purpose inwards the pursuit of integration together with interoperability efforts. Recently, MDA together with the Services demonstrated interoperability betwixt the THAAD together with PATRIOT weapons systems together with a “layered defense” pattern yesteryear incorporating Aegis, THAAD, together with Patriot capabilities.
Way ahead together with recommendations
All would concur missile defence is a complex, expensive, evolving enterprise—clearly required to protect our Homeland, our deployed state of war machine forces, together with our Allies. That said, the technology scientific discipline challenges involved inwards the integration of disparate systems are non insurmountable. In many cases, policy constraints, releasability standards, together with appointment guidelines stay the most vexing issues, requiring additional analysis together with discussion. As Duane Neal accurately states inwards his recent article, Succeeding at Integrated Air together with Missile Defense, “Deliberate analysis which allows the IAMD community of involvement to position gaps, utter over solutions, together with communicate those needs to a multifariousness of inter-, intra- together with non-government entities advance a holistic endeavor for mitigating the jeopardy from air together with missile threats”.
Open Architecture. From a technology scientific discipline standpoint, a clear agreement together with enforcement of open-architecture standards together with protocols are tantamount to achieving total integration of our missile defence platforms. History is replete alongside examples of weapons systems developed inwards isolation or “stove-pipes” that neglect to fully exploit their potential to heighten missile defence operations. The Army’s recent conclusion to teach IBCS is an of import stair to address this number piece allowing the authorities to ain together with command the architecture. Bottom line: The Defense Department, inwards coordination alongside manufacture together with other telephone commutation stakeholders, plays an essential purpose inwards ensuring requirements are accurately conveyed and
Secure Networks. Protected network architectures furnish the foundation for air together with missile defence integration both at ane time together with inwards the future. Voice together with information networks play an integral purpose inwards our electrical flow missile defence operations together with back upwards critical command, command together with intelligence (C31) tasks. The mightiness to integrate sensors together with interceptors from multiple platforms provides pregnant opportunities to heighten missile defence operations globally. That said, cyber vulnerabilities are existent together with growing daily. To safeguard our ballistic missile defence architecture, MDA together with others are establishing procedures to 1) know when penetrations occur, 2) isolate the penetration, 3) select corrective action, together with 4) build redundancy together with resiliency to sustain operations.
U.S. Air Force photograph yesteryear Randy Martin
Training Is Critical. The importance of grooming readiness cannot live on overstated. In many cases, less capable systems operated yesteryear trained crews are often to a greater extent than effective than technologically advanced systems operated yesteryear less proficient crews. In fact, minimally trained crews rarely utilize the total capabilities of our weapons platforms. Training readiness together with crew proficiency are particularly of import every bit nosotros integrate systems across services together with amidst allies. Common terminology, appointment displays, together with a mutual operating motion painting heighten the crew’s mightiness to engage a threat alongside whatsoever sensor, best shooter. Establishing together with adhering to grooming standards are telephone commutation to ensuring standardization together with the necessary competence inwards pursuit of integration across the AMD community.
Warfighter’s Requirements. Closely related to grooming readiness is the demand to withdraw heed to the warfighter virtually their requirements. The utilisation of reoccurring articulation together with combined exercises operations that integrate policy discussions alongside realistic, scenario-driven missile defence operations assist to address these critical needs. It is also of import to recognize the of import purpose organization pattern engineers play inwards conducting these grooming venues together with capturing warfighter concerns. One illustration is MDA’s Ballistic Missile Defense System Wargame (BMDSWG) series. Another possible illustration would live on to merge USSTRATCOM’s Nimble Titan serial alongside USCENTCOM’s air together with missile defence practise (AMDEX) construct.
Programs of Record. In testimony earlier Congress, Service Chiefs receive got ofttimes expressed their frustration alongside our electrical flow acquisition process. In many cases, programs of tape are executed inwards an inefficient together with costly manner, leading to delays inwards getting much-needed capabilities into the hands of warfighters. Regarding air together with missile defense, IBCS serves every bit an illustration where selected components could live on fielded inwards the Pacific today, dramatically improving our AMD posture piece saving resources on short-term together with temporary fixes.
In conclusion, the integration of missile defence organization C2, sensors, together with weapons is non a enquiry of if, but when together with to what degree. From maximizing organization capabilities piece reducing the acquit on of organization limitations to expanding defended property footprints, to reducing the toll per intercept, the benefits of integration are numerous together with needed at ane time to a greater extent than than ever before. No province tin lavatory adequately address all of the global threats given the high demand together with depression density of our electrical flow AMD resources together with their associated costs. Bottom line: we’re all inwards this together together with fully integrating our air together with missile defence assets every bit apace every bit possible gives us the best adventure at providing the necessary protection today together with inwards the future.
Dave Mann, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, retired is the sometime Commanding General, Space together with Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command together with Commander, JFCC-Integrated Missile Defense. With over 35 years’ sense inwards Air together with Missile Defense, including Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, together with New Dawn, Dave is a recognized proficient on development, testing, integration together with job of DOD’s missile defence capabilities. Dave is currently serving every bit the Principal alongside Space, Air together with Missile Defense Consulting, LLC.
Dick “Weasel” Gallagher, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy retired, is the sometime U.S. Military Representative to NATO, Deputy Commander U.S. European Command together with has commanded the Navy Fighter Weapons School TOPGUN, USS Inchon together with USS John C. Stennis. Weasel served 36 years inwards the Navy spanning Operations Desert Shield & Desert Storm to NATO’s Operation Unified Protector inwards Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya together with has flown the F-4, F-14, FA-18 together with F-16N. He is currently a Stellar Solutions, Inc Advisor together with is associated alongside other aspects of the Defense enterprise.
Larry “Snake” Wells, Major General, U.S. Air Force retired, is the sometime Commander, Ninth Air Force together with Commander, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (undisclosed location) together with served every bit Chief of Staff, U.S. Forces Korea together with United Nations Command. Larry has 35 years of sense inwards fighter, reconnaissance together with cyber operations together with flew inwards Operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom together with Enduring Freedom. He has flown the F-16, U-2, RQ-4 together with KC-10 together with is currently Senior Director, Cyberspace Innovations for Stellar Solutions, Inc.
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