US air-and-missile-defense (AMD) systems have shown their worth in the Iran conflict, intercepting wave after wave of attacks from missiles and drones. But a number of costly TPY-2 radars have been damaged or destroyed, and stockpiles of munitions components such as solid rocket motors (SRMs) are dwindling, exacerbating concerns about the capability of AMD systems to maintain effectiveness.
Breaking Defense discussed the performance of AMD systems, munitions stockpile concerns and what needs to happen to ensure future deterrence capability with Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Breaking Defense: You’ve been publicly stating for some time that our stockpiles are not what they need to be, but has seeing how attacks have evolved from ballistic missiles to drones changed your thinking about what kinds of munitions we need?
Tom Karako, director, Missile Defense Project, CSIS.
Karako: I would not say it’s changed my mind as much as it’s simply confirmed the sort of things that we’ve been saying for years. It needs to be a high-low mix. There are those who will repeat the cliche that one shouldn’t use a $4 million missile to take out a $40,000 drone. Of course there’s a certain truth to that. It is not desirable to do so.
