STRIKE IN DEFENSE: AN ANALYSIS OF USING STRIKE OPTIONS IN THEATER BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE USING JOINT DEFENDER
Loading...
Authors
Mackle, Katherine E.
Subjects
theater ballistic missile defense
missile defense
JDEF
joint defender
missile defense
JDEF
joint defender
Advisors
Brown, Gerald G.
Date of Issue
2023-06
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Theater ballistic missile defense is a crucial part of U.S. military strategy. Missile defense is a complex task that requires detailed planning. A tool to help planners construct theater ballistic missile defense plans provides the U.S. with a strategic advantage. Joint Defender (JDEF) is an optimization-based missile defense planning tool created by a research group at the Naval Postgraduate School in 2005. Given information about a potential attack and available defenders, JDEF provides an anticipated optimal attack and opposing defense plan for the best worst case for the opponents. Since its creation in 2005, its capabilities have been expanded to better combat modern missile warfare. Among other developments, JDEF now has the ability to strike a missile complex before launch. We demonstrate JDEF’s use of strike-capable interceptors in two scenarios: a hypothetical small-scale attack from Iran and a large-scale attack from North Korea. JDEF returns an optimal defense plan for the small-scale Iran scenario that minimizes maximum expected damage by 97.2%. JDEF returns an optimal defense plan for the large-scale North Korea scenario that minimizes maximum expected damage by 89.3%. Both defense plans rely heavily on strike-capable interceptors.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Operations Research (OR)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.