24 November 2003
'Aegis Option' for Missile Defense Here
Jon E. Dougherty
NewsMax.com

Dr. Hans Mark, a former Pentagon director of Defense Research and Engineering, told a science and technology roundtable convened by the George C. Marshall Institute in October utilizing the U.S. Navy's 65 Aegis-equipped warships, theater commanders could bring to bear a total of 6,950 launchers that would protect ships and land-based forces from an enemy ballistic missile attack.

Using the existing "Aegis option," Mark explained, the United States could deploy a "global" shield against short- and medium-range ballistic missiles fired from 1,000 km [about 621 miles] of the ocean. If ground-based radars were added to the equation, he said, the capability could be even more pronounced and effective.

Mark, who in 2001 wrote a White Paper on the Defense Against Ballistic Missiles, participated in the first successful intercept of a mock "SCUD" type missile by an SM ? 3 Block 1 missile fired from the U.S.S. Lake Erie in January 2002. He served as NASA deputy administrator from July 10, 1981, to September 1, 1984, but prior to that he served as Secretary of the Air Force from July 1979 until February 1981, and as Under Secretary of the Air Force from 1977.

In July 1998, Mark became the Director of Defense Research and Engineering at the Pentagon. In January 2001 Mark returned to the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics University of Texas-Austin.

What is 'Aegis?'

Developed by the U.S. Navy, the Aegis Combat System ("aegis" is Greek for "shield") is a surface-to-air integrated weapons platform designed to defend against airborne threats. It was designed as a "total" system, "from detection to kill."

"The heart of the system is an advanced, automatic detect and track, multi-function phased-array radar, the AN/SPY-1," says a Navy description. "This high powered (four megawatt) radar is able to perform search, track and  missile guidance functions simultaneously with a track capacity of over 100 targets."

It operates as a computer-based command-and-decision system as its core, making it "capable of simultaneous operation against a multi-mission threat: anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare," the Navy says.

Integrated System

Besides deploying Aegis to theaters of conflict, homeland security forces can utilize the system's capabilities to protect America's coastlines and interior as well, analysts say.

There is also a land-based element being developed that can be teamed with Aegis. It is a U.S. Navy system being developed by defense contractors SGI and General Dynamics called the Area Air Defense Commander (AADC) Capability, and it is designed to "better enable U.S. forces to conduct forward-deployed operations and homeland defense," says a Jan. 14 SGI news release.

"The sudden nature of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the continually changing events in America's war on terrorism have substantiated the need to rapidly deploy an air defense planning and operational support system that not only can respond to changing conditions but can also quickly anticipate possible scenarios and develop plans of action," says SGI.

"AADC provides an integrated air defense picture so that military commanders can quickly gather data on air and missile attacks as well as develop air defense plans that recommend theater-level placement of air defense as sets from land and sea."

The system is able to ingest information from several sources, including radar and data links, and quickly determine whether airborne activity is a threat to American assets. The activity is "represented by realistic three-dimensional depictions instead of less coherent symbols, recording vital information such as heading, air speed, altitude, and whether aircraft are friendly, enemy or neutral," says SGI.

'Promising' Option

Not only is a sea-based defense readily available and deployable, it is "the most promising near term solution to the threat of ballistic missiles," says an analysis by High Frontier, a defense-oriented think tank founded by former U.S. military and diplomatic officials.

The Aegis system, formerly called the Navy Theater Wide (NTW) program but now called Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (ABMD), is a Navy and Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) effort "to build effective theater missile defenses by upgrading our AEGIS systems to defend our allies and our deployed forces against ballistic missiles," says the High Frontier analysis. ABMD is intended to be the first of a multi-tiered layer of missile defense systems capable of also protecting theater-based assets, said the group.

Global Protection

The Aegis systems were first developed and deployed by the United States, but are not endemic to U.S. surface ships. And as more warships of allied nations are fitted with the systems, the U.S. can count on global assistance and protection of common assets.

Japan's Kongo-class destroyers and Spain's F-100 frigates are also equipped with Aegis. And, in order to provide better protection in the Asian theater, Australia is now considering the purchase of three air warfare surface ships equipped with Aegis.

"After reviewing our defense capabilities, the government has decided to provide the ADF (Australia Defense Force) with new assets, equipment and capabilities that will ensure it continues to be able to defend Australia and Australian interests in an uncertain and complex environment," Australian Defense Minister said Nov. 7, according to Japan's Kyodo News Service.

Australia is also considering outfitting four existing frigates with the SM-2 missile, the standard ship defense weapon used in conjunction with Aegis.