Confronting the Real Missile Threat: Iran or North Korea

Abstract

Despite the official end of combat operations in Iraq and the approaching end of operations in Afghanistan, U.S. Air Defense Artillery (ADA) units remain deployed throughout countries in the Middle East. These ADA units remain on alert in Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in response to Iran's provocative rhetoric and ballistic missile threats. Similarly, the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea (DPRK) also has engaged in provocative rhetoric regarding the use of its ballistic missile inventory. The major difference between the two nations' threats is that DPRK's provocations have resulted in loss of life and property for a U.S. ally, the Republic of Korea (ROK). The DPRK has engaged in three provocative acts since 2009 that nearly resulted in a renewal of hostilities between the two Koreas. These provocations, coupled with its ballistic missile inventory, the recent death of Kim Jong Il, and the inexperience and uncertainty surrounding his son and successor Kim Jong Un, should prompt the United States to deploy more of its limited number of missile defense units to Northeast Asia versus the Middle East. Currently, the United States considers Iran a greater threat to U.S. vital interests than the DPRK based on the number of ballistic missile defense assets deployed to the Middle East. There are currently more U.S. PATRIOT batteries and early warning radars deployed in the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR) than the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) AOR. The purpose of this paper is to provide facts and cited information that will show that the United States is focusing its missile defense policy and assets on the less dangerous of these two threats. The paper concludes with five possible options to deter and/or defend U.S. interests from both DPRK and Iranian ballistic missile threats.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2012
Accession Number
ADA561066

Entities

People

  • Jonathan M. Cohen

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Defense
  • Anti-Ballistic Missiles
  • Arms Control
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Combatant Commanders
  • Defense Systems
  • Early Warning Systems
  • Iraqi-War
  • Middle East
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Southwest Asia
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare
  • Warning Systems

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.
  • Missile Defense Systems.
  • Nuclear Non-Proliferation and International Security