Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville recently completed combat systems update with latest Aegis Baseline 9 combat system, June 18, 2015 (U.S. Navy/Peter Burghart) joint force with credible, effective, and The Aegis Warship affordable warfighting capabilities that as- sure friends and deter adversaries—should deterrence and conflict prevention fail. Joint Force Linchpin for IAMD Complicating the combatant com- manders’ calculus are the advancing antiaccess/area-denial (A2/AD) capabili- and Access Control ties in the hands of potential adversaries and rogue states that pose a major chal- By John F. Morton lenge to the maritime domain. From the Arctic to the Arabian Gulf, Russia, North Korea, China, India, Pakistan, and Iran all nder defense strategic guidance, 2012 guidance calls “Joint Force in have to varying degrees either deployed or U.S. combatant commanders 2020” is to project stabilizing force to are developing nuclear weapon and bal- U have been rebalancing joint forces support our allies and partners, and to listic missile capabilities. Combined with along the Asia-Pacific Rim with recali- help maintain the free flow of commerce other A2/AD capabilities that include brated capabilities to shape the regional along sea lines of communication in the sea-skimming and high-diving supersonic security environments in their areas of globalized economic system.1 cruise missiles, these threats to the global responsibility. The mission of what the Forces postured forward for deter- maritime commons translate into power- rence and conflict prevention are a ful tools for diplomatic coercion. substantial component to U.S. global en- The 2014 Quadrennial Defense gagement. The combatant commanders, Review put specific priority on increasing John F. Morton is a Senior National Security Analyst for TeamBlue National Security Programs, joint community, and Services are work- overall joint force capabilities to counter Gryphon Technologies LC. ing together to plan and resource this growing A2/AD challenges. In what 110 Features / The Aegis Warship JFQ 80, 1st Quarter 2016 the Pentagon characterizes as the A2/ partner nation efforts in ballistic missile the Secretary of Defense for Policy has AD environment, defense officials are defense (BMD) in line with the European planned for initial operational capabil- now conceptualizing the high-end level Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA), the ity [IOC] in July 2016. Phase III Aegis of the warfighting spectrum around administration’s missile defense strategy Ashore is due in Poland in 2018.) the integrated air and missile defense for Europe.4 Syring previously served (IAMD) mission. In December 2013, as the program executive officer for Modernized Aegis as the General Martin Dempsey, then Chairman integrated warfare systems (PEO IWS) IAMD Game Changer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, released his in the Navy office that was responsible The linchpin of regional IAMD is Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense: for modernization of Aegis cruisers and surface warfare, then-Captain James Vision 2020 that spoke of the need for destroyers, new construction, and ongo- Kilby wrote in April 2014.5 The deputy IAMD to “be even more Joint—advanc- ing baseline upgrades to their combat for ballistic missile defense, Aegis ing interdependence and integrating new systems. combat systems, and destroyers in the capabilities.”2 Working with MDA in driving Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Senior military officials conceive of IAMD jointness is the Joint Staff’s Force (OPNAV) Surface Warfare Directorate high-end operations as IAMD-centric. Structure, Resources, and Assessment (N96), Kilby explained that the surface They view IAMD as a joint capability to Directorate (J8), specifically the Joint Navy’s fleet of 30 Aegis cruisers and be employed at the tactical, operational, Integrated Air and Missile Defense destroyers is capable of conducting bal- and strategic levels of war. Competitive Organization (JIAMDO). This group listic missile defense. His main points, IAMD strategies for today’s A2/AD leads in developing and fielding a however, addressed how a host of addi- environments are comparable to those comprehensive, integrated joint and tional Aegis ships are undergoing mod- strategies formulated during the Cold combined air and missile defense force in ernization and will be equipped with a War with reference to the Fulda Gap, support of Joint IAMD. Since June 2014, new combat system baseline that pro- such as the Follow-on Forces Attack JIAMDO directors have been two other vides advanced IAMD capabilities. Now subconcept. The strategies inform IAMD Navy flag officers, Rear Admiral Jesse A. a rear admiral, Kilby became the first requirements generation and acquisition, Wilson, Jr., and his recent successor, Rear commander of the newly established as well as the Planning, Programming, Admiral Ed Cashman. They have led Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Budgeting, and Execution process for JIAMDO in planning, coordinating, and Development Center in San Diego in systems and architectures. overseeing joint air and missile defense mid-2014. Prior to his OPNAV service, Joint IAMD describes the IAMD requirements, operational concepts, and he commanded the cruiser USS Mon- environment as an expanding battlespace operational architectures. They have also terey (CG 61), the first Aegis BMD requiring plans and operations that range headed the U.S. delegation to the North ship to deploy to the Mediterranean in across global, regional, transregional, and Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) March 2011 to support EPAA. homeland domains. “The regional and Air and Missile Defense Committee Kilby stated that the key feature intercontinental reach of ballistic mis- that develops and steers Alliance IAMD of Aegis IAMD modernization is the siles,” it continues, “alters the strategic policy, all the more important in view Baseline 9 combat system upgrade that and operational decision space.”3 IAMD of the current situation in the Eastern provides the ability to conduct integrated forces in a specific theater can extend to Mediterranean. fires via a sensor net linking ships and regional, transregional, and homeland These Navy appointments to the aircraft. Four Baseline 9 ships—two operations. As such, combatant com- joint community reflect the reality cruisers and two destroyers—underwent mander plans must allow for coordination that the foundational maritime IAMD certification in 2015. An additional BMD and handoff across combatant command enablers for active defense will be the destroyer, the lead Baseline 9 destroyer areas of responsibility. surface Navy’s modernized fleet of USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), is home- Since May 2013, the Missile Defense Aegis-equipped warships. Mobile, ported in Hawaii. In August 2014, the Agency (MDA) has had technical author- forward-deployed Aegis cruisers and John Paul Jones replaced the Aegis cruiser ity over the IAMD mission. MDA now destroyers, variously upgraded, will serve USS Lake Erie (CG 70) as the deployable leads all joint IAMD engineering and as the combatant commanders’ net- BMD test ship assigned to the Barking integration efforts, including defining enabling nodes for globally integrated Sands Pacific Missile Range Facility on and controlling the IAMD interfaces joint force operations for access control. Kauai to support MDA and Navy testing and the allocation of IAMD technical (Augmenting the missile defense capabil- of IAMD capabilities. (The John Paul requirements. MDA’s current director ity of at-sea Aegis platforms in the NATO Jones Baseline 9 upgrade was co-funded is Vice Admiral James Syring, the first area of responsibility will be the land- by the Navy and MDA. Although the Navy head of the agency. His arrival in based Aegis Ashore variant. Under EPAA ship is an “integrated baseline ship” that 2012 coincided with a time when the Phase II, Aegis Ashore is in Romania is also deployable, it is not a combatant Aegis ship-based combat system came with a technical capability declaration that command asset.) John Paul Jones has to to be seen as a core element of U.S. and came at the end of 2015; the Office of date successfully completed four flight JFQ 80, 1st Quarter 2016 Morton 111 Crew of guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones successfully engaged 6 targets with 5 Standard Missiles during live-fire test, June 19, 2014 (U.S. Navy) test events intercepting both short-range Engagement Capability (CEC), and 5th- cruiser. The lead Baseline 9 cruiser, USS ballistic missile and cruise missile targets generation F-35 fighter aircraft will be Chancellorsville (CG 62), is now under using the Standard Missile (SM)-6 Dual I “IAMD game changers.” operational control of U.S. 7th Fleet. The and SM-2 Block IV missiles. OPNAV’s Surface Warfare third Baseline 9 cruiser, USS Princeton The most complex variant of inte- Directorate is working to enhance the (CG 59), underwent combat system ship grated fires, wrote Kilby, is the emerging utility of NIFC-CA. Among the concepts qualification trials and integrated testing Navy Integrated Fire Control–Counter considered is making the Baseline 9 ships in July 2015. The initial NIFC-CA con- Air (NIFC-CA) capability that dramati- less reliant on assets of the carrier strike cept of operations, however, still requires cally extends the sensor net to allow for group by using an organic unmanned additional testing and refinement as the missile engagements beyond the radar aerial vehicle with the necessary data links Navy delivers