Aegis International and Ballistic Missile Defense: A New Interoperability Network
Abstract The scope of the ballistic missile threat facing the United States and our allies is constantly expanding. Rising powers such as China and India have invested heavily in conventional and strategic strike capability, while rogue nations including North Korea and Iran continue to press their missile programs forward. Non state actors have also joined in the game. According to the Department of Defense's 2010 Ballistic Missile Defense Review (BMDR) the ballistic missile threat will likely continue to increase over the next decade. Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) has been called the greatest systems engineering challenge ever undertaken. Hitting a "bullet with a bullet" has challenged policy, military and technical professionals for decades. But today, a U.S. National Ballistic Missile Defense (National BMDS) capability has emerged and a new, Aegis international taxonomy has opened the door for an international ballistic missile defense umbrella. The push to enhance U.S. and international BMD capabilities is being supported by innovative, collaborative initiatives. We highlight several of these projects, and show how they are charting the course of future BMD capabilities by focusing on the interoperability of BMD missions. This interoperability will ultimately ensure the success of DoD's Phased Adaptive Approach to missile defense.