“The PLA continues the largest, fastest, most comprehensive military buildup since World War II in both the conventional and strategic nuclear domains. In spite of economic and manufacturing challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the accelerated pace at which the PLA has added advanced capabilities is concerning. In 2022 alone, the PLA added to its operational inventory 17 major warships, including four guided missile cruisers, three destroyers, five frigates, two attack submarines, and a large amphibious assault ship, plus scores of support and specialty ships. The air forces have doubled the production capability for its 5th Generation J-20 fighter with an estimated 150 of these aircraft now operational, many of them fielded last year. In 2022, the PRC completed 64 successful space launches that placed at least 160 satellites into orbit. And perhaps most stunning of all, the PLA Rocket Force continues to massively expand its arsenal of conventional and nuclear missiles, building hundreds of silos for nuclear missiles and fielding several hundred ballistic and cruise missiles. This almost certainly includes a large number of hypersonic missiles, some of which may be nuclear-capable.” – Admiral John C. Aquilino, U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region Hearing, April 18, 2023
At the onset of the “Cold War” in the post World War II the United States and its Western Allies were faced with rapidly increasing threats from air and anti-ship missile capabilities being fielded by the Soviet Block. The special challenges of supersonic low altitude missile deployments from both ships and aircraft reduced the battlespace effective timeline from detection to intercept to an “8 second” fight. It demanded the development of integrated Air and Missile Defense System that combined surveillance and fire control sensors, the inclusion of command and decision capable of automating decisions and seamless connection to weapons.
Led by Admiral Wayne Meyer in 1971-1972 this fleet air defense challenge was the momentum change to develop the Aegis Weapon System and integration of the Aegis Combat System. “Aegis” combined surveillance systems with fire control systems in a fixed 360-degree phased array radar –AN/SPY 1 for the first-ever integrated AEGIS missile defense capability. It was developed in Moorestown New Jersey with the Defense Industry partner RCA that later became Lockheed Martin.10 years later in 1983, the United States deployed and deployed the USS TICONDEROGA(CG-47), as the first Aegis Guided Missile Cruiser, the first of its class. Today there are 22 of these Ticonderoga Class operational in the U.S. Navy. 1983, 40 years ago was also the anniversary of the Strategic Defense Initiative by President Ronald Reagan.
In January 1991, 40 years ago in the Gulf War, ballistic missiles were launched in combat by Iraq against US bases in Saudi Arabia. The USS MOBILE BAY (CG-53) Cruiser 7th ship of the Ticonderoga Class was on station in the Persian Gulf, inadvertently picked up a track of an Iraqi ballistic missile before it flew over the 100,000 feet limit ceiling that the Aegis System self-imposed for Air Defense as no air threats were higher than that. The USS MOBILE BAY was able to track that Iraqi ballistic missile from launch to target. This led to eventually establishing a new Navy mission of Ballistic Missile Defense for regional defense missions. The Ticonderoga class ships including the USS Lake Erie, began to create an Aegis BMD integrated battle management system that could track and warn on Ballistic Missiles and began to do research and development of the first Navy Missile Defense Interceptor, the SM-3.
In 1998, North Korea fired its first ballistic missile over Japan causing the U.S. to put in the Missile Defense Act of 1998. The events of 9/11 soon followed that created the impetus to withdraw from the ABM Treaty, create NORTHCOM, MDA, and deploy rapidly Missile Defense capabilities for the Ballistic Missile Defense of our Nation. This included Ground Based Missile Defense System with Interceptors for the Homeland and a 360 degrees cruise missile defense that had sentinel radars and NASAM interceptors for the United States Capital Region. In addition to that, the US Navy was assigned to have Aegis BMD ship capability for early warning and tracking of North Korean Missiles in the Pacific. In the Crawford Memo under President George W Bush in 2006 Aegis BMD Warning Ships were assigned to the Defense of the United States Homeland and would report to NORTHCOM.
To make this happen, it required bi-partisan support from the United States Congress and Senator Daniel Inoyue (D) Hawaii and Senator Ted Stevens (R) Alaska that held the majority leader and minority leader of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee for close to two decades. Both States were at the forefront of Missile Defense Development and Deployment with Senator Inoyue on the leadership for reopening and reinvesting in the PRMF Pacific Range Missile Testing Facility on Barking Sands Kauai where the rapid development testing of Aegis BMD to include sensors, interceptors took place as it does today and assigning USS Lake Erie the Aegis BMD test ship. Their bi-partisan leadership coupled by Admiral Wayne Meyer’s “Build a Little, Test a Little” concept that has created the most successful test and intercept record for MDA. Since 2003 Aegis BMD development at MDA under the Command of Admiral Roughhead, Paige, Hicks, Horn, Hendrickson, Wolf, Druggan developed successfully tested and proved out – SPY 1-5, SPY 6, SM2 SM-6, SM3 Block IA, SM3 Block IIA, Aegis Baseline 3 to Aegis Baseline 10 …. With today at 110 Aegis BMD Ships in the United States Navy. Aegis BMD Ships are also deployed in Japan Navy. The latest test was earlier this month off the USS Daniel Inouye (115). the Aegis Integrated Missile Defense has the best-proven mobile layered from Space to Sea 360 missile defense in the World, second to none.
As the United States and its Allies prepare and ramp up to best to deter China
“The People’s Republic of China is the most consequential strategic competitor – the only one capable of combining economic, diplomatic, and military capabilities to threaten the US and the order.” –Admiral John C. Aquilino, U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region Hearing, April 18, 2023
General Secretary Xi and the Chinese Communist Party’s strategic aim is to bend, change, and dominate the Global Order. Its advanced conventional and nuclear missile capabilities represent a new offensive front. To counter this threat, the United States must accelerate the design, production, and fielding of the indomitable Aegis Integrated Missile Defense System. More specifically, the U.S. must employ a layered defense which includes technologically advanced and impenetrable command control systems, sensors that detect highly maneuverable/low signature glide-phase missiles, and ground/air/space-based interceptors to defeat China’s massive arsenal of Hyper Sonic missiles, Ballistic Missiles, Cruise Missiles and Unmanned drones.
The United States and its Allies have to out-pace the pacing threat. Recognizing the words of Admiral Wayne Meyer, we now have to “Build a lot, Test a lot .” As we approach a new era of offensive threat capabilities, we must repeat the brilliance of our Leaders who possessed extraordinary vision 50 years ago. We must upgrade, up-gun, up sense and redeploy the advanced technologies of the proven Aegis integrated Missile Defense System.
It Starts in Guam.
“USINDOPACOM’s priority mission is to defend the homeland. Establishing the GDS, a 360-degree, integrated air and missile defense on Guam, remains the highest priority. Funding for a single integrated weapon capability must be uninterrupted to provide an advanced, integrated, persistent, and enduring, layered defense against ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles. This system must also be prepared to incorporate offensive capabilities as needed, and synchronize our logistics requirements from the island.” – Admiral John C. Aquilino, U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region Hearing, April 18, 2023
