Missile Defense Strategic Stationing
Abstract
Although the Army has conceptual plans and requirements for the development of new air and missile defense capabilities, specifically THAAD and JLENS, the Army has not defined a strategic employment / deployment plan to meet Combatant Commanders' demands. Throughout the 1990s, the Army deployed PATRIOT task forces to Southwest Asia and South Korea with little overarching strategic planning balanced against competing and evolving demands for missile defense capabilities. The constant deployments had an adverse impact on the AMD force from personnel, training, and operational readiness perspectives. This caused the Army to reevaluate its employment plan to sustain operational demand without breaking the AMD force. The Army used the Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) model with 1:2 dwell time as means to sustain operational commitments. Combatant Commanders? immediate demand for THAAD and JLENS, as they come off the production lines and lack of a clear stationing plan, could lead to a repeat of the 90?s challenges. This paper posits that a strategic stationing plan for THAAD and JLENS must be developed concurrent with acquisition of new air and missile defense capabilities. It recommends specific means to employ these new capabilities without adversely impacting the AMD force.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 11, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA542858
Entities
People
- Edward J. O'neill
Organizations
- United States Army War College