The Airborne Laser and the Future of Theater Missile Defense

The theater ballistic missile (TBM) problem encountered in the Persian Gulf War revealed an alarming deficiency in US defenses. This paper takes a brief look at the major theater missile defense (TMD) systems in use and under development by the US today. Second, it focuses on the performance of the Army’s Patriot defense system in the Gulf War. Finally, the paper fulfills its main purpose of offering an in-depth look at the development of the Airborne Laser (ABL) and how it should fit into an overall national structure for TMD. The paper concludes that Patriot performance in the Gulf war was unsatisfactory, not just because of system flaws, but because of the concept of point defense itself. The ABL provides a unique solution to collateral damage inherent in point defense concepts. In addition, the ABL can provide advanced warning to other theater defense systems in the event of a mass launch which could overtax the ABL’s capabilities. The paper offers several recommendations for the future direction of TMD. First, phase out point defense completely and channel those funds into development of the other TMD systems which minimize collateral damage to the assets they are intended to protect. Second, expedite development of the ABL as the first line of TMD, backed up by longrange theater systems. Third, continue to develop true theater defense systems; that is, systems which have a range of hundreds of kilometers such as the Navy’s Aegis and the Army’s THAAD systems, preventing TBMs from getting close to their intended target.