The bad guys can use drones too. While billions have been spent on ballistic missile defense, little attention has been given to the more imminent threat posed by unmanned air vehicles in the hands of terrorists or rogue states.
The authors argue for further research and development into directed energy weapons as a way to counter the threat from MANPADs and cruise missiles.
Addressing a perceived increase in cruise missile threats, the U.S. Army is working to develop new defenses against the weapons by fiscal 2008.
An ?obsession? with ballistic missile defense is partially responsible for insufficient U.S. attention and funding for defense against cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, according to Dennis Gormley of the Monterey Institute's Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
US scientists are trying to develop a new superfast, mach-12 missile, dubbed "Fasthawk", that would be able to strike distant targets with lightning speed, all but denying future enemies of Washington a chance to escape, according to people familiar with the project.
The author looks at the growing threat of cruise missiles, especially given recent tests by North Korea and Iraq, and argues that a sound defense against cruise missiles "depends as much on developing more effective nonproliferation policies as it does on planning for more versatile missile defenses."
The ballistic missile threat is well-publicized and has long been a factor in Pentagon planning, but US vulnerability to cruise missiles has only recently come to the forefront.
two reports issued this month warn that low-cost, low-tech cruise missiles could become an attractive alternative to ballistic missiles for potential adversaries. They urge defense officials to erect new defenses and give greater attention to reducing the spread of cruise missile technologies.
Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, argues that the United States should seriously consider deploying a system to defend the continental United States from a sea-launched cruise missile attack ? potentially one conducted by terrorists using WMD-armed missiles.
The author assesses the risks of future adversaries coupling cruise missile technology with biological weapons.