Missile Defense Systems By Country
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Missile defense systems are a type of
missile defense Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception, and also the destruction of attacking missiles. Conceived as a defense against nuclear weapon, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic mi ...
intended to shield a country against incoming missiles, such as
intercontinental ballistic missiles An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range (aeronautics), range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more Thermonuclear weapon, thermonuclear warheads). Conven ...
(ICBMs) or other ballistic missiles.
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
,
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
have all developed missile defense systems.


Definitions

* The term " Missile defense system" broadly means a system that provides any defense against any missile type (conventional or nuclear) by any country. * Any mechanism which can detect and then destroy a missile before it can cause any harm is called a missile defence system (MDS). The role of defense against nuclear missiles has been a heated military and political topic for several decades. However, missile defense is no longer limited to interception of strategic nuclear weapons. The gradual development and proliferation of missile technology has blurred the line between the technologies for the interception of tactical missiles (usually short to intermediate range with non-nuclear payloads) and the interception of strategic missiles (usually long ranged with nuclear payloads). High-performance tactical ballistic missiles carrying non-nuclear payloads now have the ability to affect strategic balance in conflict zones. Likewise, high-performance tactical missile defense systems can now influence force deployment strategies.


Europe


France, Italy, and UK

The UK, France and Italy developed a programme called PAAMS (also known as Sea Viper in the UK) in the late 1990s. It was developed to arm the
Horizon The horizon is the apparent curve that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This curve divides all viewing directions based on whethe ...
-class frigate (a joint programme between the UK, France and Italy). The UK dropped out of the frigate programme after collective differences remained unsolved, and instead decided to design and build its own Type 45 destroyer which would still use the PAAMS missile system. France and Italy, following this departure, incorporated a ground-launched anti-ballistic missile system into the plans, and developed SAMPT – a truck-launched anti-ballistic missile system which used PAAMS technology.


Germany and other countries

Since October 2022, 22 European states have joined the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative for procuring and maintaining air defence systems collectively. European NATO members—most notably Germany—have begun adopting more layered and interoperable Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) architectures in response to growing threats from drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic systems. The concept draws from the U.S. IBCS approach but adapts it to a multinational, geographically dispersed alliance framework, often under the umbrella of NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS). Additional offensive proposals include European Sky Shield for Ukraine, which would station European fighter jets beyond the frontlines of Ukraine, rather than ground-based systems alone.


India

Two systems are in planning and testing stages. The air defence network has two principal components – the 'Air Defence Ground Environment System' (ADGES) and the 'Base Air Defence Zones' (BADZ). The ADGES network provides for wide area radar coverage and permits the detection and interception of most aerial incursions into Indian airspace. The BADZ system is considerably more concentrated with
radars Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction (azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track aircr ...
,
interceptors An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically for the defensive interception role against an attacking enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Aircraft that are cap ...
, SAMs and AAA units working together to provide an intense defensive barrier to attacks on vital targets. The Indian Air Defence is deployed as a tiered system. #
Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme The Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme is an initiative to develop and deploy a multi-layered ballistic missile defence system to protect India from ballistic missile attacks. It was launched in 1999 after the Kargil War by the Atal B ...
(under development) # Long-range Air Defence –
S-400 The S-400 Triumf ( – Triumf; translation: Triumph; NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler), previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, is a mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed in the 1990s by Russia's NPO Almaz as an upgrade to the S ...
, Project Kusha (under development) # Medium-range Air Defence – Barak 8, Akash NG (user trails) # Short-range Air Defence (
point defence A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...
) – QRSAM, Akash, S-125 Pechora (to be retired) and others


Ballistic missile defence

The Ballistic Missile Defence Program is an initiative to develop and deploy a multi-layered
ballistic missile defense Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception, and also the destruction of attacking missiles. Conceived as a defense against nuclear weapon, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic mi ...
system to protect India from
ballistic missile A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are powered only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) typic ...
attacks. India is pioneer in defence dome system, The program was launched in year 1999 after kargil war. Introduced in light of the ballistic missile threat from Pakistan, it is a double-tiered system consisting of two interceptor missiles, namely the Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) missile for high-altitude interception, and the Advanced Air Defence (AAD) Missile for lower altitude interception. The missiles mentioned was developed as a part of Phase 1. The two-tiered shield should be able to intercept an incoming missile having a range of up to 2,000 kilometers. PAD was tested in November 2006, followed by AAD in December 2007. With the test of the PAD missile, India became the fourth country to have successfully developed an Anti-ballistic missile system, after United States, Russia and Israel. On 6 March 2009, India again successfully tested its missile defense shield, during which a test "enemy" missile was intercepted at an altitude of 75 km. On 6 May 2012, it was announced that Phase-I is complete and can be deployed to protect two Indian cities at a short notice.
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
, the national capital, and
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
, had been selected for the ballistic missile defence shield. After successful implementation in Delhi and Mumbai, the system will be used to cover other major cities in the country. This shield can destroy incoming ballistic missiles with range up to 2,000 km. When the Phase II is completed and PDV is developed, the two anti-ballistic missiles can intercept targets up to range 5,000 km both at exo- and endo-atmospheric (inside the atmosphere) regions. Apart from DRDO's endeavour to develop a potent missile defense, India is reportedly examining the Israeli Arrow, the Almaz design bureau's S-300 PMU-1/-2 and
S-400 The S-400 Triumf ( – Triumf; translation: Triumph; NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler), previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, is a mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed in the 1990s by Russia's NPO Almaz as an upgrade to the S ...
and the Antey design bureau's Antey 2500/ S-300VM. India has procured a squadron of S-300V systems which are in use as an 'anti-tactical ballistic missile screen'. India also purchased
S-400 The S-400 Triumf ( – Triumf; translation: Triumph; NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler), previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, is a mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed in the 1990s by Russia's NPO Almaz as an upgrade to the S ...
system from Russia for US$5.4 billion in 2018.


Cruise missile defence

Defending against an attack by a cruise missile on the other hand is similar to tackling low-flying manned aircraft and hence most methods of aircraft defence can be used for a cruise missile defence system. In order to ward off the threats of nuke-tipped cruise missile attack India has a new missile defence programme which will be focused solely on intercepting cruise missiles. The technological breakthrough has been created with an Advanced Air Defence missile (AAD). DRDO Chief, Dr V K Saraswat stated in an Interview "Our studies have indicated that this AAD will be able to handle a cruise missile intercept," Furthermore, India is acquiring airborne radars like AWACS to ensure detection of cruise missiles in order to stay on top of the threat. Barak-8 is a long-range anti-air and anti-missile naval defence system which has been developed and tested successfully by
Israel Aerospace Industries Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI; ), is Israel's major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial and astronautic systems for both military and civilian usage. It has 14,000 employees as of 2021. IAI is state-owned by the government ...
(IAI) and the
Defence Research and Development Organisation The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is an agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, charged with the military's research and development, head ...
(DRDO) of India. The Indian Army has inducted a variant of Barak 8 missile to meet its requirement for a medium-range
surface-to-air A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-a ...
air defence missile. The naval version of this missile has the capability to intercept incoming enemy cruise missiles and combat jets targeting its warships at sea. India has a joint venture for this missile with Israel. On 17 November 2010, in an interview Rafael's Vice President Mr. Lova Drori confirmed that the David's Sling system has been offered to the Indian Armed Forces. But, as of July 2024, India do not have plans to acquire the system.


Israel

Israel has multiple missile defense systems, covering the wide range of missile threats.


Arrow

The Arrow or ''Hetz'' (, ) is an Israeli family of
anti-ballistic missile An anti-ballistic missile (ABM) is a surface-to-air missile designed to Missile defense, destroy in-flight ballistic missiles. They achieve this explosively (chemical or nuclear), or via hit-to-kill Kinetic projectile, kinetic vehicles, which ma ...
s, partially funded by the US.Dr. Uzi Rubin: "The Arrow program used practically no U.S. technology, just U.S. money. It was almost entirely based on Israeli technology, though we bought some components in the U.S. because they were cheaper." (2003)
source
/ref> It was designed to fulfill an Israeli requirement for a theater missile defense system. Undertaken by
Israel Aerospace Industries Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI; ), is Israel's major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial and astronautic systems for both military and civilian usage. It has 14,000 employees as of 2021. IAI is state-owned by the government ...
(IAI) and
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
, it is overseen by the Israeli Ministry of Defense's "''Homa''" (, , "
rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department ** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...
") administration and the U.S.
Missile Defense Agency The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is a component of the Federal government of the United States, United States government's United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense responsible for developing a comprehensive Missile defense, defe ...
. The Arrow system consists of the joint production
hypersonic In aerodynamics, a hypersonic speed is one that exceeds five times the speed of sound, often stated as starting at speeds of Mach 5 and above. The precise Mach number at which a craft can be said to be flying at hypersonic speed varies, since i ...
Arrow anti-missile interceptor, the
Elta ELTA is a Lithuanian news agency based in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. In a day, it receives about 5,000 news articles and produces about 300 articles in Lithuanian, Russian, and English. ELTA cooperates with foreign news agencies such as R ...
EL/M-2080 "Green Pine" early-warning AESA
radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
, the Tadiran Telecom "Golden Citron" ("Citron Tree") C3I center, and the
Israel Aerospace Industries Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI; ), is Israel's major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial and astronautic systems for both military and civilian usage. It has 14,000 employees as of 2021. IAI is state-owned by the government ...
"Brown Hazelnut" ("Hazelnut Tree") launch control center. The system is transportable, as it can be moved to other prepared sites. Following the construction and testing of the Arrow 1 technology demonstrator, production and deployment began with the Arrow 2 version of the missile. The Arrow is considered one of the most advanced missile defense programs currently in existence. It is the first operational missile defense system specifically designed and built to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles. The first Arrow battery was declared fully operational in October 2000. Although several of its components have been exported, the Israeli Air Defense Command within the
Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; , commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Indep ...
(IAF) of the
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...
(IDF) is currently the sole user of the complete Arrow system. Arrow 3 was declared operational on Wednesday, 18 January 2017. Development of the Arrow 3 began in 2008, and it was declared operational in January 2017. It flies at greater speeds, and has greater range and altitude compared to the Arrow 2, intercepting ballistic missiles during the space-flight portion of their trajectory. According to the chairman of the
Israeli Space Agency The Israel Space Agency (ISA; , ''Sokhnut heKhalal haYisraelit'') is a governmental body, a part of Israel's Ministry of Science and Technology (Israel), Ministry of Science and Technology, that coordinates all Israeli space research programs w ...
, Arrow 3 may serve as an
anti-satellite weapon Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) are space weapons designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for Military strategy, strategic or Military tactics, tactical purposes. Although no ASAT system has been utilized in warfare, a few countries (China, ...
, which would make Israel one of the world's few countries capable of shooting down satellites.


David's Sling

David's Sling (
Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
: קֶלַע דָוִד,
romanized In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...
:
''Kela David'') is an
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...
military system that was jointly developed by the Israeli
defense contractor A defense contractor is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a military or intelligence department of a government. Products typically include military or civilian aircraft, ships, vehicles, weaponry, and ...
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. () is an Israeli Defense contractor, defense technology company. It was founded as Israel's National R&D Defense Laboratory for the development of weapons and military technology within the Ministry of Defens ...
and the American defense contractor
Raytheon Raytheon is a business unit of RTX Corporation and is a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. Founded in 1922, it merged in 2020 with Unite ...
, designed to intercept enemy planes, drones,
tactical ballistic missile A tactical ballistic missile (TBM), or battlefield range ballistic missile (BRBM), is a ballistic missile designed for short-range battlefield use. Typically, range (aeronautics), range is less than . Tactical ballistic missiles are usually mo ...
s, medium- to long-range
rocket A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely ...
s and cruise missiles, fired at ranges from 40 km (24.85 miles) to 300 km (186.41 miles). Development began in 2009, and it was declared operational in April 2017 with the Israel Defense Forces.


Barak 8

Barak 8 (
Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
: בָּרָק, lit. "Lightning"), also known as LR-SAM or MR-SAM, is an Indo-Israeli jointly developed
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
(SAM) system, designed to defend against any type of airborne threat including aircraft, helicopters,
anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM or ASM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. ...
s, and UAVs as well as
ballistic missile A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are powered only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) typic ...
s, cruise missiles and combat jets. Both maritime and land-based variants of the system exist. It was developed by IDF, Elta Systems,
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. () is an Israeli Defense contractor, defense technology company. It was founded as Israel's National R&D Defense Laboratory for the development of weapons and military technology within the Ministry of Defens ...
and India's Bharat Dynamics. Currently, it is deployed by Israel solely in the
Israeli Navy The Israeli Navy (, ''Ḥeil HaYam HaYisraeli'', ; ) is the Israel Defense Forces#Arms, naval warfare service arm of the Israel Defense Forces, operating primarily in the Mediterranean Sea theater as well as the Gulf of Eilat and the Red Sea th ...
, though land-based versions do exist and have been deployed by the
Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
and the
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...
.


Iron Dome

Iron Dome (
Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
: כִּפַּת בַּרְזֶל,
romanized In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...
:
''Kippat Barzel'') is a short-range artillery and rocket interception system jointly developed by the Israeli
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. () is an Israeli Defense contractor, defense technology company. It was founded as Israel's National R&D Defense Laboratory for the development of weapons and military technology within the Ministry of Defens ...
and
Israel Aerospace Industries Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI; ), is Israel's major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial and astronautic systems for both military and civilian usage. It has 14,000 employees as of 2021. IAI is state-owned by the government ...
. Development began in 2005, and it was declared operational in March 2011. It intercepted its first rocket from Gaza in April of that year, and since then has had a success rate of over 90%.


Iron Beam

Iron Beam (
Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
: קֶרֶן בַּרְזֶל, ''Keren Barzel''), officially מגן אור (M''agen Or'', lit. "Light Shield"), is a
directed-energy weapon A directed-energy weapon (DEW) is a ranged weapon that damages its target with highly focused energy without a solid projectile, including lasers, microwaves, particle beams, and sound beams. Potential applications of this technology include ...
air defense system which was unveiled at the Singapore Airshow on 11 February 2014 by Israeli
defense contractor A defense contractor is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a military or intelligence department of a government. Products typically include military or civilian aircraft, ships, vehicles, weaponry, and ...
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. () is an Israeli Defense contractor, defense technology company. It was founded as Israel's National R&D Defense Laboratory for the development of weapons and military technology within the Ministry of Defens ...
. The system is designed to destroy short-range rockets, artillery, and mortar bombs; it has a range of up to 7 km (4.3 mi), too close for the
Iron Dome Iron Dome () is an Israeli mobile all-weather air defense system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired f ...
system to intercept projectiles effectively. In addition, the system could also intercept
unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human pilot, crew, or passengers onboard, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.De Gruyter Handbook of Dron ...
s (UAVs). The system is projected to cost under $3 US per interception, and become operational by October 2025.


Russia

The Russian
A-135 anti-ballistic missile system The A-135 (NATO reporting name, NATO: ABM-4 Gorgon) is a Russian anti-ballistic missile system deployed around Moscow to intercept incoming warheads targeting the city or its surrounding areas. The system was designed in the Soviet Union and enter ...
is currently operational only around the city of
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, the national capital, and is being augmented to protect major cities in Russia. The A-135
anti-ballistic missile An anti-ballistic missile (ABM) is a surface-to-air missile designed to Missile defense, destroy in-flight ballistic missiles. They achieve this explosively (chemical or nuclear), or via hit-to-kill Kinetic projectile, kinetic vehicles, which ma ...
system is a Russian military complex deployed around
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
to counter enemy missiles targeting the city or its surrounding areas. It became operational during 1995. It is a successor to the previous A-35, and compliant with the 1972
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, also known as the ABM Treaty or ABMT, was an arms control treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union on the limitation of the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems used in defending areas against ball ...
from which the US unilaterally withdrew in 2002. The A-135 system attained "alert" (operational) status on 17 February 1995. It is currently operational although its 53T6 (NATO:SH-11) component is deactivated (as of February 2007). A newer missile is expected to replace it. There is an operational test version of the system at the test site in Sary Shagan, Kazakhstan. The S-300PMU1 and PMU2 can intercept SRBMs, and the S-300V and S-400 Triumf systems are capable of intercepting a multiple IRBM attack by all DF-21 model IRBMs. These air-defense systems have been purchased by Turkey, India, China, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea. Other countries which have also expressed interest include Iran and Belarus. The enhanced S-300VM/VMK is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles with a range of 2,500 km re-entry speeds of 4.5 km/s, whereas the S-400 is claimed to be capable of intercepting ballistic missiles with a range of 3,500 km which equates to re-entry speeds of 4.8 to 5 km/s. A system designed to intercept warheads at 5 km/s has the ability to act as a point system against simple ICBM warheads which have a typical re-entry speed of 7 km/s. Apart from the main Moscow deployment, Russia has striven actively for intrinsic ABM capabilities of its late model SAM systems. Russian ground based theatre defence against ballistic and cruise missiles are centered on the in-service * S-300P (SA-10) * S-300V (SA-12A/B Giant/Gladiator) * S-300PMU-1/2 (SA-20A/B Gargoyle) *
S-400 The S-400 Triumf ( – Triumf; translation: Triumph; NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler), previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, is a mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed in the 1990s by Russia's NPO Almaz as an upgrade to the S ...
(SA-21) * S-500 (In development)


United States

The U.S. Sentinel program was a planned national missile defense during the 1970s, but was never deployed. Elements of Sentinel were actually deployed briefly as the
Safeguard Program The Safeguard Program was a U.S. Army anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system designed to protect the U.S. Air Force's Minuteman ICBM silos from attack, thus preserving the US's nuclear deterrent fleet. It was intended primarily to protect against ...
, although it was not national in scope. United States has had in development a nationwide antimissile program since the 1990s. After the renaming in 2002, the term now refers to the entire program, not just the ground-based interceptors and associated facilities. Other elements yet to be integrated into National Missile Defense (NMD) may include anti-ballistic missiles, or sea-based, space-based, laser, and high-altitude missile systems. The NMD program is limited in scope and designed to counter a relatively small ICBM attack from a less sophisticated adversary. Unlike the earlier Strategic Defense Initiative program, it is not designed to be a robust shield against a large attack from a technically sophisticated adversary. As of 2012, this system is operational with limited capability. In early April 2013, the Pentagon announced plans to deploy 14 more
Ground-Based Interceptor The Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) is the anti-ballistic missile component of the United States' Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system. Description This interceptor is made up of a boost vehicle, constructed by Orbital Sciences Corporatio ...
(GBI) missiles to Alaska in response to the North Korean threats to deliver nuclear weapons to the United States. A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery was deployed to Guam as well.


China

The PLA currently possesses the KT series of anti ballistic missiles and also has adopted limited anti ballistic capabilities on the HQ-9, KS series, and HQ-16 systems. China tested the FJ ABM during the Cold War but the project was ultimately cancelled. Four versions of the S-300 are in service, the PMU, PMU1 and PMU2 and the navalised S-300FM Rif. Based on the S-300PMU1, the Rif equips the PLAN's two Type 51C Luzhou air-defense destroyers enabling them to contribute to the protection of a coastal site against SRBM attack. The S-300PMU2 has the best chance of intercepting an SRBM missile as it employs the 48N6E2 missile which has a warhead optimized for destroying ballistic missiles, and better kinematics compared to earlier 48N6 missiles. HQ-9 may have some ABM capability.However, it is kinematically inferior to the imported Russian S-300PMU2 Favorit according to thi
source
/ref> New missiles, the HQ-19, HQ-26, and HQ-29, are being built. On 11 January 2007 the Chinese successfully performed an anti-satellite missile test using a KT-1described by the director of United States Defense Intelligence Agency as a SC-19 missile missile with a Kinetic Kill Vehicle mounted. In 2010, China successfully tested its exoatmospheric interception capabilities, being the second country after the United States to do so. The system was again successfully tested on 27 January 2013 and 8 September 2017.


Iran

After the Russian ban on exporting S-300 to Iran (which was lifted in 2015), Iran decided to develop a similar system domestically: "We have planned to build a long-range air defence missile system similar to S-300. By God's grace and by the Iranian engineers' efforts, we will reach self-sufficiency in this regard."


Khordad 15

The Khordad 15 is an Iranian designed and built
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
(SAM) system. The system was unveiled to the public on 9 June 2019 in an address made by Iranian Defence Minister Amir Hatami in
Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
, Iran. The system was developed by the Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO). It shall have the capability to detect and intercept fighter jets, stealth targets,
unmanned combat aerial vehicle An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone, fighter drone or battlefield UAV, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance and carries aircra ...
s (UCAV) and
cruise missile A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large payload over long distances with high precision. Modern cru ...
s. It operates in conjunction with Sayyad-3 missiles. The surface-to-air missile system was developed in order to counter missiles and other aerial threats presented by the presence of extra-regional forces at military bases in countries around Iran. It was unveiled amid escalating tensions with the United States and Europe's failing attempts at upholding its commitments to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.


Bavar-373

Bavar-373 is an Iranian long-range road-mobile
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
system unveiled in August 2016. Iran describes it as a competitor with the
S-300 missile system The S-300 (NATO reporting name SA-10 Grumble) is a series of long-range surface-to-air missile systems developed by the former Soviet Union. It was produced by NPO Almaz for the Soviet Air Defence Forces to defend against air raids and cruise ...
. It is manufactured by the Iranian Defence Ministry in cooperation with unspecified local manufacturers and universities. The system was formally unveiled during a ceremony attended on 22 August 2019, and was declared operational the same day. An upgraded version was unveiled in 2022. Iran described it as a competitor with the
S-400 The S-400 Triumf ( – Triumf; translation: Triumph; NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler), previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, is a mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed in the 1990s by Russia's NPO Almaz as an upgrade to the S ...
and said it is capable of shooting down
Fifth-generation fighter A fifth-generation fighter is a Jet fighter generations, jet fighter aircraft classification which includes major technologies developed during the first part of the 21st century. these are the most advanced fighters in operation. The characteri ...
aircraft. The first prototype was built on 22 November 2011. Iran announced that the system was designed and built by defense ministry, domestic industries and some Iranian universities. Esmaieli said that Iran doesn't even think about S-300 anymore as Bavar-373 was much more capable. Iranian sources suggest that the Bavar 373 will be mobile, with four missiles loaded on each mobile truck launcher.


Arman Arman (November 17, 1928 – October 22, 2005) was a French and American artist. Born Armand Fernandez in Nice, France, Arman was a painter who moved from using objects for the ink or paint traces they leave (''cachets'', ''allures d'objet'') t ...

The Arman missile system (full name: Arman long-range anti-ballistic missile system) is an anti-ballistic defense system built by the Iranian Ministry of Defense. There are two versions of the Iranian defense system, each equipped with different radars. One version utilizes a passive radar carrier, while the other model features an active radar. The Arman system employs Sayad-3F missiles.


Taiwan

Taiwan operates the Sky Bow family of BMD systems. Development of Sky Bow I began in 1981 with deployment beginning in 1993. The Sky Bow II is an improved version of the Sky Bow I. Both the Sky Bow I and Sky Bow II use a common silo launch system. In 2001 development of the completely new Sky Bow III system began with flight testing commencing in 2009 and deployment soon after. The Sky Bow III has a top speed of Mach 7. A naval variant of the Sky Bow III has also been developed. In addition to the BMD force the Army operates the Antelope air defence system which has a significant anti-cruise missile capability. The ROCAF also operates imported Patriot PAC-3 batteries.


Japan

Since 1998, when North Korea launched a Taepodong-1 missile over northern Japan, the Japanese have been jointly developing a new surface-to-air interceptor known as the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) with the US. So far tests have been successful, and there are planned 11 locations that the PAC-3 will be installed. A military spokesman said that tests had been done on two sites, one of them a business park in central Tokyo, and Ichigaya – a site not far from the Imperial Palace. Along with the PAC-3, Japan has installed the US-developed Aegis ship-based anti-ballistic missile system, which was tested successfully on 18 December 2007. The missile was launched from a Japanese warship, in partnership with the US Missile Defense Agency and destroyed a mock target launched from the coast. In the 2010s, Japan consulted with the United States to possibly deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and a ground-based version of the Standard Missile-3 interceptors mounted on Aegis destroyers. In a joint US-Japan test of Standard Missile-3 Block IIa, a medium-range ballistic missile was successfully intercepted on 3 February 2017. Japan's intention is to create a four-stage anti-missile shield. In 2020, Japan scrapped plans to buy the land-based Aegis Ashore system from the US, stating the system would be too costly and time-consuming. The J/FPS-5 radar system was adopted by Japan in the 2000s in response to growing North Korean capabilities. A U.S. plan to increase PAC-3 Patriot missile production in Japan is delayed due to a critical seeker component shortage from Boeing. Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries can double its PAC-3 output to 60 per year, but expansion hinges on additional seeker supplies, highlighting supply chain challenges.


Other developments


South Korea

Like the UAE (see below), South Korea has agreed to deploy THAAD systems. The agreement was announced in July 2016. A kinetic-kill defense such as THAAD destroys high-value incoming missiles by colliding with them. The agreement came after a North Korean intermediate-range ballistic missile launch in June 2016; China has rebuked the actions of the involved parties, as destabilizing. South Korean military sources responded that a 12 February 2017 launch by North Korea represented a new technology, a 'cold launch' using compressed gas before the solid-fuel rocket ignition. This type of launch is a submarine-launched ballistic missile (
SLBM A submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from submarines. Modern variants usually deliver multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), each of which carries a nuclear warhead ...
) technology.Reuters World News (12 Feb 2017) "South Korea says North Korea missile used 'cold eject' launch system"
accessdate=2017-02-19
China responded to the North Korean launch by cutting off their import of North Korean coal, which is 50% of North Korea's income. On 6 March 2017, North Korea launched four missiles from Tongchang-ri, a known long-range missile site at 7:36 a.m. local time, one of which landed in the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...
(East Sea of Korea), with the remaining three missiles landing in Japan's economic zone. A fifth North Korean missile failed to launch. That day, the first vehicles of a THAAD battery deployed to South Korea. Two launcher trucks arrived at Osan Air Base, South Korea, on 6 March 2017.U.S. Begins Shipping Controversial Anti-Missile System to South Korea
accessdate=2017-03-06
By 6 September 2017 the AN/TPY-2 radar, the fire control system, and all six launchers (with 48 THAAD interceptors) were fully deployed.Reuters: (6 September 2017) South Korea deploys anti-missile system as U.S. seeks tough North Korea sanctions
/ref> South Korea is also developing several indigenous short-range BMD systems, under its Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system scheduled to be deployed by the early 2020s. (Korea Air and Missile Defense) is a multi-platform, short-range air and missile defense concept that South Korea has been developing since 2006 to enhance its protection against DPRK SRBMs, cruise missiles, and light aircraft. South Korea is developed the Cheongung Korean medium-range surface-to-air missile (KM-SAM), intended to intercept DPRK SRBMs and MRBMs at a relatively low altitude, similar to PAC-3. The Korean long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM), under development until 2023, will reportedly be similar to THAAD, operating in a high-altitude, terminal-phase intercept role against SRBMs and MRBMs.


United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates (UAE) has graduated its first two American Terminal High Altitude Air Defense ( THAAD) unit classes at Fort Bliss in 2015, and in 2016. Its first live-fire exercises with Patriot missiles took place in 2014. The UAE is "the first GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) partner to possess an upper tier ballistic missile defense capability the THAAD weapon system," stated the US Army general who addressed this graduating class.


Criticism

Bruno Gruselle, in 2010, noted that French policymakers considered the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty and the doctrine of mutual assured destruction to be the cornerstones of strategic stability."... Missile defense would become a reality and that systems would eventually be deployed. Paris realized that it needed to adjust policy to these realities to avoid risking the credibility of the French nuclear deterrent. " Nonetheless, Gruselle concedes in the same work that "Paris realized that it needed to adjust policy to these realities to avoid risking the credibility of the French nuclear deterrent.", as well as the fact that "France recognized the necessity of missile defense to protect deployed French troops." That is to say, French policy makers realized that the increasing performance and reliability of missile defense systems could reduce its own nuclear deterrence, and was also necessary to maintain its foreign military deploymen
Bruno Gruselle (Nov 2010) "Missile Defense in NATO: a French Perspective" ''Lisbon NATO Summit, Nov 2010''
Some French analysts, notably Camille Grand, view missile defense as jeopardizing both the doctrine and the treaty, as well as risking a new arms race, which is reflected in the development of advanced missile defense counter measures and decoys as well as a higher number of and more Maneuverable reentry vehicle, maneuverable independently targetable reentry vehicles—as well as the intercept systems designed to defeat them. Additionally, experts such as L. David Montague, retired U.S. Air Force General Eugene E. Habiger and Harvey L. Lynch question the reliability of these systems. Beyond the technical difficulties, which have been described as more challenging than hitting one bullet with another, all performance data is derived from experiments and scripted tests. Their effectiveness in an actual all-out war situation is uncertain. However, non-nuclear ballistic and conventional missiles have been used in recent limited regional conflicts to strategic effect. Several Houthi-fired ballistic missiles in Yemen have been intercepted by Saudi MIM-104 Patriot batteries, and Russian
cruise missile A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large payload over long distances with high precision. Modern cru ...
s have been notably used in the Syrian Civil War. Gruselle noted most French security experts doubted the technological feasibility of intercontinental ballistic missile defense. Some thought it foolish to spend huge amounts of money on unproven technologies that lacked operational or political usefulness. Instead, the French defense policy community viewed missile defense merely as an American "economic weapon" used to defeat the Soviet Union and win the Cold War. The extant missile defenses are currently vulnerable to hypersonic weapon, maneuverable hypersonic vehicles, which can maneuver at speeds high enough to defeat missile defenses. China is among the countries pursuing hypersonic vehicles as warhead delivery systems. Yousaf Butt, a critic of missile defense, states in ''The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists'' that "just as with nuclear weapons, the U.S. infatuation with missile defense will cause other nations to desire this expensive technology". Russia's top military officer has threatened to carry out a pre-emptive strike on U.S.-led NATO missile defence system, NATO missile defense facilities in Eastern Europe if Washington goes ahead with its plan to build a missile shield. Russian Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov also warned that talks between Moscow and Washington on the topic are "close to a dead end." U.S. State Department special envoy Ellen Tauscher responded that neither country could afford another arms race.


See also

*Anti-ballistic missile *Anti-submarine missile *Ballistic missile *Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System *Comparison of anti-ballistic missile systems *Nuclear strategy *
Missile Defense Agency The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is a component of the Federal government of the United States, United States government's United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense responsible for developing a comprehensive Missile defense, defe ...


Footnotes


References


External links


Article on Missile Threat Shift to the Black Sea region

Video of the Endo-Atmospheric Interceptor missile system test by India


* The [http://www.cdi.org Center for Defense Information] has many resources on ABMs and NMD. * Th
Federation of American Scientists
A resource for technical data, full-text of key documents, and analysis.
MissileThreat.com
a listing and descriptions of ABM systems around the world.
The unofficial website of the Stanley R. Mickelson Safeguard complex
contains relevant images and history of the Safeguard program.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Missile defense systems Anti-ballistic missiles, * Missile defense, * Technological races