RealClearDefense | Frank A. Rose
Recent global conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have decisively transformed missile defense from a theoretical debate into an operational imperative, demonstrating its critical value in saving lives, preserving freedom of action, and complicating aggressor strategies. While proving effective, these conflicts also exposed severe vulnerabilities: insufficient interceptor inventories for prolonged engagements, the inherent fragility of fixed land-based sensors, and the strategically unsustainable cost curve where inexpensive drones exhaust costly interceptors. Moreover, adversaries like Russia and Iran are rapidly adapting with sophisticated saturation attacks. To maintain an advantage, the article urges accelerated modernization through expanded interceptor production, a layered global sensor architecture (including space-based systems), aggressive development of emerging technologies (lasers, AI), enhanced "left-of-launch" capabilities for pre-emptive disruption, and strengthened allied integration. Missile defense is no longer optional but now central to deterrence and security.
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