Missile Defense

I was very proud to hear this week that US Army Patriot Batteries shot down ballistic missiles in UAE! Well done! It was my great privilege to serve as an Army Air and Missile Defender for almost a quarter century. I am also very fortunate to stay connected to missile defense in my post military career.

Developing an interest in missile defense was most likely a natural progression. I’ve always loved aviation and as a kid was into model rocketry. It seemed only natural when entering college to pursue a degree in aerospace technology. While in college, I earned my private pilot license but more importantly became an Army ROTC cadet.

What did I want to do in the Army upon commissioning? Fly helicopters of course! There was just one small problem. Back in the early 1990s 20/20 uncorrected vision was a requirement for military aviation.  This was before the days when laser eye surgery was common.  

I was medically unqualified to fly due to poor eyesight! I really didn’t have a second Army branch picked out, but as I looked down the list of options, I noticed Air Defense Artillery. If I couldn’t fly military aircraft, I’d learn how to shoot them down!

The rest is history! I embarked on a wonderful military career as an Air Defense Artillery soldier. Initially I served in short range air defense units before moving to more missile defense focused organizations. ADA was the perfect fit for me.   

And the experience I gained in service paid off. Upon retirement, I was very fortunate to land great jobs within the missile defense enterprise, first in industry and now for the government.

That is how I became entangled with missile defense!  But, how in the world did shooting missiles out of the sky become a major part of our nation’s national defense strategy and a multi-billion-dollar industry? I’ll provide a brief history to try and explain. Perhaps I’ll revisit air defense in another blog!

Immediately following WWII, the United States Army began studying the concept of using a guided missile to destroy a ballistic missile.  When the Soviet Union successfully test launched an ICBM, anti-ballistic missile (ABM) defense became a top national security priority.  In 1958, the government assigned responsibility for missile defense to the Army.  

By the mid-1960s, the challenges of defending against a massive Soviet missile strike made a national missile defense system less attractive.  Regardless, in 1968, the Johnson administration ordered the deployment of the Sentinel ABM system around major US urban centers. 

During this period, US anti-ballistic missile defenses were developed around the Army’s nuclear tipped Sprint and Spartan interceptors.  Additionally in the mid-1960s, the US Navy and Air Force began their own ABM research programs.  

Partly due to public concerns about nuclear tipped missiles deployed around major US cities, President Nixon directed the redeployment of ABM systems to defend key US ICBM launch sites.  This strategy provided leverage with the Soviets during the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) which culminated with the signing of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in May 1972. 

While under the restrictions of the ABM treaty, the US continued research shifting focus from nuclear tipped proximity kill interceptors to directed high energy warhead kill solutions.  President Reagan launched the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in the 1980s to determine feasibility of developing a missile defense shield.  

Although SDI didn’t get off the drawing board, a key principle of warhead kill intercept technology became the cornerstone of modern missile defense programs.  After the breakup of the Soviet Union, President George H.W. Bush directed the development of a concept to defend the United States and allies against limited ballistic missile strikes.

The modern period of US missile defense began in the 1990s and was reorganized into two distinct components.  Theater Missile Defense (TMD) encompassed those forward deployed missile defense systems designed to defend US forces and allies’ geopolitical assets in a theater of operations.  The other component was designated as National Missile Defense (NMD).  NMD defended the homeland against emerging ballistic missile threats posed by rogue states.

May 2001 signaled another shift in US foreign policy as the US sought to withdraw from the ABM treaty. The 9/11 attacks hastened the United States withdraw from the treaty and deployment of a NMD system to defend against limited ballistic missile attacks.

Today, the United States is continually improving capabilities and increasing capacity within theater missile defense. As we saw this week, the current version of the Army’s mobile, deployable, and combat proven Patriot system is the first line of defense for US forces and interests abroad.  Additionally, various versions of the Patriot system are sold via Foreign Military Sales to many US allies. 

Extending beyond the capabilities of the Patriot system is the Army’s Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System.  Initially developed in the mid-90s and operational by 2008, this system with its powerful radar and higher reaching hit to kill interceptor provides outstanding capability against threat intermediate and long-range ballistic missiles.  

Bridging the gap between Theater and National Missile Defense is the Navy’s Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.  The Aegis’ powerful AN/SPY-2 phased array radar coupled with the SM-3 interceptor is highly effective against short to intermediate range ballistic missiles.

In addition to the many advances in theater level defense, National Missile Defense rose to prominence in the modern era. The Ground Based Midcourse Defense interceptor is a three-stage hit to kill design that destroys ballistic missiles aimed at the US homeland. After initial detection of a threat missile by space-based sensors, terrestrial sensors across the globe track the threat and pass targeting data through an integrated network to the fire control center. 

There you have it, the history of missile defense in a nutshell! Pretty exciting stuff in my humble opinion. Even after all the improvement in capability though, in simplest terms, missile defense remains hitting a bullet with another bullet. I am very excited to see what the future holds for missile defense and what the next “big thing” will be!

Next week I’ll shift gears to the “investing” theme with a look at living frugally.

The views, opinions and biases expressed in this blog are the authors and do not reflect those of the U.S. Army or Department of Defense.

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