Homeland Defense Starts at Hawaii

With the steady cadence of a storm-trooper boots, the North Korean missile and nuclear threat to the U.S. homeland continues to grow at a steady pace.  Throughout successive administrations, including the Obama Administration and now into the first months of the Trump Administration, North Korea’s continued development, testing, and improvement of ballistic missile technology and nuclear weapons presents an escalating threat and very real danger to the United States and its territories – particularly the state of Hawaii.  It is time for this unique threat to be defended against with U.S.-based forward-deployed missile defense systems. 

As the White House and Congress review and reset our defense policy and spending, it is not only important we make greater investments in missile defense, but it is also critical we make the right investments to ensure the supporting architecture meets growing near-term threats, while also looking to advance technology for future threats.  Hawaii is our first line of defense in the Pacific, and we must protect it with proven, available systems.

While much attention has been focused on North Korea, the tacit involvement of the Chinese government is also a critical factor in the equation of how to best respond to the North Korea threat.  Clearly, when the U.S. initiated the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system that includes the Army Navy/Transportable Radar (AN/TPY-2) to South Korea in response to the ongoing North Korea ballistic missile tests, China was a vocal critic of this “destabilizing” development. Despite the deployment of THAAD and with the first-ever meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi just behind us, the North Koreans attempted to disrupt the tenor of the meeting by test firing another ballistic missile – a continuation of their aggressive and clear violation of international agreements.

As the North Korean threat continues to escalate, it is important we also take stock of our vulnerabilities and capabilities here at home. Hawaii’s proximity to North Korea and it is robust military presence makes it a prime target for attack. While the Missile Defense Agency is considering developing a new discrimination radar system called the Homeland Discrimination Radar Hawaii (HDR-HI), the immediate fielding of operational and proven systems, like THAAD and AN/TPY-2 should be considered for deployment to Hawaii. This system is the defensive capabilities needed by the combatant commander when forward deployed forces live under this pressing ballistic missile threat.  As North Korea becomes increasingly emboldened, this capability must now be extended in layered defense of the U.S. homeland.

Between the radars deployed to Japan and South Korea, and also placing an operational system in Hawaii, it gives the U.S. the capability to discern if an attack on the U.S. homeland by North Korea is underway.  Additionally, with the ability of these systems to operate in the boost and terminal phases of ballistic missile flight, they can also provide a layered defense of forward-deployed U.S. forces, our allies in the Pacific, and now, the U.S. homeland starting with Hawaii.

The Trump administration has made it clear that missile defense is a priority for protecting against attacks from Iran and North Korea.  A key measure of that commitment is through clear and robust policy statements, guaranteed funding in the upcoming budgets, and deployment of these systems, even in the face of our adversaries’ objections.  Decades of unfulfilled foreign policy decisions lay in the wake of North Korea’s intransigence and continued defiance of international arms agreements.  The United States can no longer afford to exercise only the levers of diplomacy and sanctions in the face of a growing and more credible threat.  Actions will speak stronger than words and deployment of proven systems to Hawaii will bear witness to our commitment to defend the homeland.

CDR Lippold is a retired naval officer who was the Commanding Officer of USS Cole (DDG 67) when it survived a suicide terrorist attack by al Qaeda.  He is a highly regarded national security expert who currently serves as President of Lippold Strategies, LLC.