Army needs ‘comprehensive missile defeat strategy’ to address air defense challenges - Breaking Defense

US Army air defense artillery soldiers inspect a THAAD launcher in the Middle East. (US Army photo)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — As the Trump administration grapples with munition stockpile numbers, the Army needs a new “comprehensive missile defeat strategy” that shores up magazine depth, while also adding new, cheaper options into the mix, according to a three-star general.

Lt. Gen. John Rafferty, who assumed command of Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) in late April, kicked off the annual symposium in Huntsville, Ala. this morning by pointing to “critical gaps” in the air defense arena, including the numbers and types of munitions, that need to be addressed.

“I cannot add anything to the emphasis on magazine depth … or for the need for cheaper and a wide-ranging mix of interceptors,” the three-star general said this morning. “That couldn’t be made more loud and clear from the highest levels of our government.”

But filling that gap requires more than simply ramping up production of key air defense assets like Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors that have played central roles for the US in the fight against Iran.