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Missile Defense Becomes Part of Great Power Competition
by Jim Garamone, DOD News
July 29, 2020
''China and Russia are developing increasingly capable and
numerous missile defense systems, and integrating them into their
defense strategies as they compete with the United States,'' a DOD
official said.
The United States pioneered missile defense
systems. Then-President Ronald Reagan proposed missile defense
systems in the early 1980s. His ''Strategic Defense Initiative'' was
dubbed the ''Star Wars Initiative'' ... sometimes derisively.
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Soldiers at an Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense launching station prepare to load a
missile system on a C-17 Globemaster III at Fort Bliss, Texas
on February 23, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Cory D. Payne)
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The laughing stopped during Operation Desert Storm, when Patriot
missile defense batteries based in Saudi Arabia and Israel stopped
Iraqi Scud missile attacks.
Russia is a long-time player. The
former Soviet Union created a ring of anti-ballistic missile
batteries around Moscow during the Cold War. These nuclear-tipped
missiles still exist as part of Russia's A-135 anti-ballistic
missile system. The system consists of 68 nuclear-armed
interceptors. As part of President Vladimir Putin's military
buildup, the system has received new radars and updated electronics.
The beauty of this system is that the Russians have only to be close
to an incoming threat. The downside is radiation from an intercept
would contaminate thousands of acres of countryside.
The
Russians are getting ready to field the S-500 system. Designed to
intercept short- to medium-range threats, they say the system will
defend against ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles. The
system's initial operating capability is set for some time in 2025.
The other main threat comes from the People's Republic of China.
The Chinese see missile defense as a key cog in their military
ambitions. The People's Liberation Army Air Force is accelerating
the transition of its tasks from territorial air defense to both
offensive and defensive operations, according to a Chinese white
paper on the subject. China's air force is also improving its
capabilities for strategic early warning, air strikes, and air and
missile defense.
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A crew launches a Patriot missile during a test at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico on an
unspecified date. (U.S. Department of Defense photo)
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Right now, the Chinese are heavily dependent on Russian missile
defense capabilities. The Chinese have invested in the Russian S-300
and S-400 systems – missile defense capabilities. The Chinese are
assiduously studying the problem and have invested in research to
build their own capabilities, DOD officials said.
This
includes the HQ-19 missile defense system, which could be used
against incoming, medium-range ballistic missiles. Initial operating
capability is set for next year.
China is also developing a
mid-course interceptor. The Chinese government said they tested that
capability in February 2018. U.S. officials say initial operating
capability is not likely until the late-2020s. They anticipate it
would have good capability against intermediate-range ballistic
missiles and could be adapted to target intercontinental s and
submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
The United States
homeland's missile defense system is in place to defend against
accidental launches or attacks from rogue states such as Iran and
North Korea. Unlike Russia, the U.S. uses non-nuclear ''kinetic
kill'' vehicles, which destroy incoming warheads using their speed
and mass to collide with the threat.
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