Dear Members and Friends,
President Obama’s directive to pivot military focus to the Pacific to bring additional stability has had the reverse outcome on North Korea as it continues to progress its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities while this same policy has incentivized China to challenge the regional status quo in the Pacific. The President’s directive has neither diminished nor deterred the growing Pacific threat, it has accelerated it as North Korea has launched more ballistic missile tests this year than any year in its history. The ramifications, and loss of attention coupled with NATO Europe’s inadequate military force structure, readiness and material capability, has created a void of force in Europe that Russia has clearly seized upon. The United States must refocus its security strategy and give increased priority to the Russian threat and the air and missile defense of NATO Europe.
Today, the Pentagon released detailed evidence of Russian troop buildups along the country’s border with Ukraine (click here to read an article from the Washington Free Beacon). These Russian forces are fresh from conducting successful electronic, cyber, and hybrid operations in Ukraine, along with long-range cruise missile and air strikes in Syria, and have demonstrated significant modernization in areas such as military technology, strategy and doctrine since the end of the Cold War.
Under Putin’s leadership, the country has clearly modernized its forces and implemented new methods and means of warfare that have proved successful. In Syria, Russia has demonstrated an advanced offensive capability, testing long-range cruise missiles-launched from UAVs, submarines and surface vessels-during tests and against targets in Syria. Additionally, the advanced Russian Iskander short-range ballistic missile has been deployed in Syria and in Kaliningrad in the Baltic’s. In establishing anti-access/area denial zones directed against U.S. Air Forces and NATO member Air Forces, Russia employs S-300 and S-400 air and missile defense systems. Currently, these systems are deployed alongside Russian regiments in locations such as Syria and Kaliningrad reaching outward and would restrict U.S. and NATO aerial operations in these regions. These Russian air defense systems in Kaliningrad push into Poland and the Baltic states in the defended air space that they can provide.
With these demonstrated capabilities, Russia has become one of the most problematic and highest priority threats to the United States military. In addition to China and North Korea in the Pacific, the threat from Russia provides the United States with a compelling reason to increase deployment, development, training and investment in integrated air and missile defenses.
Admiral Cecil D. Haney, Commander of USSTRATCOM stated yesterday in Huntsville, Alabama, “There is No stronger message in deterrence than when we partner with our international community.”
Furthering that statement, Admiral Haney spoke of critical importance of combatant command exercises in improving international integration and deterrence. The premier strategy-focused missile defense exercise in the world is NIMBLE TITAN, which takes place in Europe annually which includes 27 nations and international organizations. “This year, NIMBLE TITAN campaigning shifted focus from missile defense to integrated air and missile defense, shifting due to the demand signal from the associated participating nations and multinational organizations.” stated Admiral Haney.
Most of the 27 participating nations are from NATO members and have serious concerns regarding the inadequacy of NATO’s air and missile defense capabilities. These NATO nations field a diverse unconnected assortment of old air defense platforms, sensors and interceptors, ranging from Cold War-era Russian S-200s and U.S.-designed HAWK systems, to more modern Patriot and SAMP/T systems. In the short-term, all these systems need to be integrated until a more cohesive technology is developed and deployed.
To counter the Russian threat to Eastern Europe and the Baltics, U.S. and NATO military strategy mandates forces to delay a potential Russian advance and hold territory until air superiority can be established. Until recently, the offensive air strike and air superiority capabilities of NATO have not been effectively challenged by post-Cold War Russia. In 2003, in an effort to save money and absent a dominant Russian air threat, the United States and NATO disbanded and withdrew its air defense capabilities from Europe, leaving NATO forces dependent on U.S. and NATO air superiority. During the Cold War, these land based air defense systems-such as Stinger, Avenger, HAWK in SHORAD battalions and Patriot air defense batteries-provided stalwart air defense for divisions, corps, air fields and maneuvering brigade forces and successfully helped deter Soviet aggression against NATO.
Currently, without a NATO or U.S. armored division deployed in Europe, combat brigade teams outside of the continent act as a counterweight to Russia’s large ground force, which now can contest air superiority in cruise missiles, UAVs, along with advanced electronic and cyber warfare capabilities. These highly valued U.S. and NATO forces used for deterrence face a dilemma because, without adequate air and missile defenses, they are vulnerable to Russian cruise missiles, UAVs and electronic/cyber attacks. To resolve this dilemma, the gap in air and missile defense along with tactical strategy needs to be addressed and changed. Ultimately, this would allow for a modern, maneuverable, and capable integrated U.S. and NATO air defense force in Europe. In addition, this modernized force must employ a winning strategy utilizing counter electronic and cyber capabilities; a strategy that fights to win, not to delay, in a contested air environment.
The United States and NATO have two options to fill this air and missile defense gap. The short-term option is to increase integration of NATO existing air and missile defense systems. This means leveraging and integrating existing technologies such as NASAMS, Avenger, SM-6s, PAC 2s and other air defense platforms fielded by NATO members, allowing this diverse spectrum of systems to act in unison in the face of a growing aerial threat from Russia. The second and longer-term option is development of a new integrated air and missile defense system, one that, for example, uses directed energy technology and/or more cost-effective interceptors. Directed energy systems such as the High Energy Laser Mobile Test Truck (HELMTT), is maneuverable, well-armored, and capable of intercepting modern aerial threats, could be employed for this purpose. Also to be considered for future deployment is the Multi-Mission Launcher (MML), which is capable of using a variety of air defense interceptors at a relatively low cost. Both options are reliant on effective overhead sensors to include aerostats such as the JLENS and remote based sensors on land, on sea and air hooked into a future system such as the upcoming IBCS that can match the best sensor with the best launcher for the best firing solution.
NATO Europe and the United States cannot choose to ignore the growing threat on the Eastern Front.
