Time to Celebrate Success in Missile Defense

With the ramifications of the diplomatic debacle in Syria not fully known, our allies in the Middle East and elsewhere are more in need of reassurance now than at any time in recent memory. Fortunately, the U.S. is still leading the world in some areas and in the realm of ballistic missile defense, there is something to celebrate.

Last week saw the third successful ballistic missile defense test in the last month, which utilized the Aegis system deployed on U.S. Navy destroyers and represented the highest level of achievement to date for the family of Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) interceptors.  For allies and enemies alike this is an important signal of U.S. capabilities.

The last two tests involved a complex, separating short-range ballistic missile target and a medium-range ballistic missile, both successfully intercepted by the next-generation SM-3 interceptor, known as the Block IB. The destruction of the latest target was the highest-ever intercept in space and both were achieved using realistic test parameters (the target’s launch time and bearing were not known in advance).

In the case of the Aegis system and the SM-3 interceptors, however, the effectiveness and credibility of U.S. defenses against the threat of certain ballistic missiles is becoming difficult to ignore. The first September test involved an SM-3 Block IA interceptor and one fired from the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system that both successfully intercepted two medium-range ballistic missiles fired nearly simultaneously. The SM-3 has now had successful intercepts in 26 of 31 tests. Yesterday marked the fifth consecutive success for the SM-3 Block IB.

How can the U.S. capitalize on this success?

First, stick with what works. To be sure, the history of missile defense development in the U.S. has been haphazard and sporadic at times. The current administration has spent precious time and resources on the Block IIB interceptor, a program that never moved past the paper concept stage and has been riddled with design and schedule problems. Meanwhile, planned deployments of the SM-3 Block IA and IB have been cut and continue to be threatened further in these tight budgetary times. It’s time to focus on the systems that have demonstrated success.  

Second, the U.S. should commit to frequent and rigorous testing of the deployed systems. Running regular, end-to-end operational tests is the only way to build confidence in those systems. Even in the event of a failure (as the GMD system has experienced three times in a row now), regular testing drives corrections and improvements. A commitment to testing sends a strong message to allies and potential foes. For allies, knowledge that the U.S. is investing in credible missile defense technologies increases the value of our extended deterrence and provides reassurance that we are committed to their security. For those that would threaten the U.S. with ballistic missiles, frequent testing introduces uncertainty into their planning, raising doubts about the success of a potential attack. U.S. systems need not be infallible – they simply need to alter a country’s cost-benefit analysis of the use ballistic missiles, or even of developing these weapons in the first place.

There are real benefits that accrue to demonstrating a credible missile defense architecture. It’s time we celebrated the successes that bring us closer to that reality. 

Photo Credit: Lockheed Martin

Jonathan Bergner is an independent expert on national security policy issues. He has written extensively about nuclear proliferation, deterrence, and ballistic missile defense.