In the aftermath of a crisis, it is the stability of persistent defensive capabilities and actions with a clear intent to preserve peace and deter impulsive reactions that could escalate further into conflict. In the Middle East, on the Korean Peninsula, in the Pacific, and in Eastern Europe where borders of cultures clash, are the most important areas in the world today to increase stability and to promote peace.
Increased capacity of defensive capabilities to defend the populations and bases of power projection to deter in these regions facing considerable overmatch in pre-crisis, during, and post-crisis are in high demand and are a high priority. Now more than ever, additional capacity, increased integration, better defense designs and application of advanced new technologies, are absolutely required to change the calculus of the Iranian threat who holds a significant numerical advantage in the region.
The Middle East and the calculus of Iran in forming its reaction from cyber, proxies, and/or raids with their power projection weapons of choice – ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned drones, and rockets which are the most capable, developed, and quantity in the region. Iran’s missile capacity is at a tremendous numerical advantage in creating instability upon Iraq, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Israel, and the United States in the region is real and upon us with aggravated intent to avenge. Current deployed United States and allied integrated air and missile defense systems are the best in the world and are operationally in place in the Middle East in GCC countries defending U.S. power projection bases and on Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) ships flanking Iran, they are not deployed in Iraq. There are no Patriot BMD deployments from either U.S., GCC or allies in Iraq.
Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) in the Middle East today is not about single domain defenses, it is a multi-domain, cross service, cross ally, and fully integrated defense design to defeat an Iranian missile overmatch while enabling U.S./allied air power projection and superiority against Iran. It is a new era and evolution of deterrence that is being catapulted to existence by the real world situation in the Middle East today.
Deployed operational missile defense systems saves lives and helps secure peace and stability. More missile defense has to be put in place.