Army Air and Missile Defense: 21st Century Transformation and Modernization

Abstract : According to FM 3-01, Chapter 11, The mission of the United States' Army Air Defense Artillery is to protect the force and selected geopolitical assets from aerial attack, missile attack, and surveillance. Since February 2010, there have been three significant decisions that will impact air defense artillery into the 21st Century: (1) Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made defending against near-term regional threats a top priority of our missile defense plans, programs, and capabilities, (2) the Department of Defense made the decision to terminate the Medium Extended Air Defense System, and (3) the Army made the decision to terminate the Surface-Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile program. As a result, it is critical that the Army articulates a strategy that synchronizes and integrates Army air and missile defense policy, requirements, fiscal priorities, resource implementation strategies, and air and missile defense program execution. This paper examines current air and missile defense concepts and strategies and will explore the potential for transforming and modernizing Army air defense artillery to best protect the force and selected geopolitical assets from aerial attack, missile attack, and surveillance.