Beginning in 1973, the Navy began a significant investment in the research and development of the MK-15 Phalanx CIWS, a naval program designed to meet the challenge of engaging the emerging anti-ship cruise missile threats. Over the last 47 years, the system has evolved to meet increasingly-challenging threats and became a mainstay of layered defense for surface vessels across the fleet. The Navy’s decision to man, train, and equip Sailors with this critical point-defense system continues to pay dividends in the protection of thousands of U.S. forces, both ashore and afloat. In the face of increasingly lethal anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) threats from Russia and China, the Navy innovated: combining the MK-15 Phalanx CIWS with elements of the rolling-airframe missile to produce SeaRAM. This evolution replaced the traditional 20mm Gatling-gun of the CIWS with a launcher capable of carrying 11 infrared-seeking, rolling airframe missiles (RAM).

In the midst of the Cold War, the Army focused on air defense against high-end Soviet threats. This focus paid dividends in the form of HAWK and improved-HAWK air defense systems, and then PATRIOT missile batteries, STINGER MANPADS, and the mobile Avenger Air Defense Systems, which, in combination, provided capability against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and rotary-wing platforms. However, these systems did little to counter the threats identified in the Vietnam counter-insurgency, namely: mortars, rockets, and artillery. Thirty years later, when the Army commenced ground operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, it divested 8 of 10 short-range air-defense artillery battalions to pay for Operating Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom costs. These inactivations, coupled with a capability gap, clearly highlighted a vulnerability to defend against rockets, artillery, and mortars. Asymmetric, multi-axis attacks by mortars, artillery, and rockets once again highlighted the Army’s capability gap and placed Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen at risk on our forward operating bases (FOBs). In response, Army acquisition and programming teams capitalized on the Navy’s proven and adaptable system in 2005/2006, by converting the MK-15 Phalanx CIWS to a land-based version called the Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar (C-RAM) in a rapid manner. U.S. Navy Sailors provided initial manning, training, maintenance, and equipping to the Army, enabling a phased turnover of the system over the course of several years. In the interim, the Army began implementing spiral developments to improve the capability, while building its own support infrastructure for the weapon system, while the Navy temporarily held the line providing the expertise to sustain and maintain these systems. The Army also wisely transferred much of the C-RAM portfolio to the National Guard, adding valuable depth to the air-defense bench — allowing limited flexibility to what remained of the ADA branch.

Today, the Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar (C-RAM) is still actively protecting thousands of lives of U.S. and Allied service members in forward operating bases across the globe, by negating our adversaries’ 360-degree attacks. There is a significant and critical precedent for the Army to take a Navy air-defense system to quickly and adequately fill a gap. Aegis Ashore provides another opportunity to achieve similar cross-service synergy in the pursuit of fully-integrated air and missile defense. The model is built on a phased approach that enables the Army to form the capacity to man, train, and equip its own Aegis Ashore operators, similar to the C-RAM’s capability development and deployment of systems. The Navy can -and will- fill the gap until the Army builds required depth, and begins to integrate Aegis Ashore into its warfighting concepts and doctrine.

Today’s finite defense budget pushes the services to extend efficiency and save costs. To win in today’s complex missile-defense environment, the services must take a joint approach and collectively share resources and technology. The Army should take deliberate action on beginning the manning and equipping of the 360-degree, land-based, layered defense: Army Aegis Ashore (AAA). This divestiture enables the Navy to transfer Aegis Ashore personnel back to the fleet, where they are needed most, and allows the Army to rapidly fill a capability gap and deficit in procurement.