This study analyzes the United States's ability to defend its troops and strategic interests from theater ballistic missile attack. Defense against these weapons requires a flexible mobile weapons system which may be deployed to any region of the world. The weapons system should be capable of assessing the engagement results and must be able to employ current joint missile defense doctrine. This study examines five theater missile defense systems currently under development capable of use and deployment by the year 2010. These systems are first judged by their ability to deploy rapidly and by multiple means, the C4I capabilities, how well each addresses various regional geographic aspects of the threat, and the intertheater mobility of the system. The weapons systems are then judged as to their feasibility, acceptability, and sustainability of employment. The conclusion of this study is that no single theater missile defense system is ideally suited for or capable of defending United States troops and strategic interests against ballistic missile attack. Rather a combination of the Navy Theater Wide Defense System in combination with an area defense will provide a rapid creditable missile defense force providing the capability of exo-atmospheric engagement coupled with layered defense in depth.

ADA 332019 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)