The Washington Times:
The Pentagon’s new missile defense strategy unveiled last week reveals plans to deploy an advanced anti-missile interceptor on the new F-35 jet that can be used to shoot down intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The new SM-3 Block IIA interceptor, originally intended for use from Aegis missile defense ships, will be used as a backup for the current 44 Ground-Based Interceptors (GBIs) now deployed in Alaska and California. Those interceptors, along with sensors around the world and in space, can counter North Korean long-range missiles and expected Iranian ICBMs, as well some Chinese or Russian missiles in the event of a major war.
The new interceptor “has the potential to provide an important ‘underlay’ to existing GBIs for added protection against ICBM threats to the homeland,” the Missile Defense Review states. The advanced SM-3 deployed on F-35s would reduce the burden on the GBIs that could be overwhelmed by a large salvo of long-range missiles or a smaller number of missiles with multiple warheads.
