Missile Defense

List of Missile Defense articles

A missile is launched at night.
A missile is launched at night.

U.S. Gets Hypersonics Back on Track

The Pentagon tries to one-up China’s “Sputnik moment.”

The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system intercepts rockets fired from Gaza into southern Israel on May 14, 2021.
The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system intercepts rockets fired from Gaza into southern Israel on May 14, 2021.

Russia and Iran Threats Put Missile Defense Back on the Agenda

In Europe and the Middle East, plans for missile defense are a mixed blessing.

A Ground-based Interceptor missile, an element of the nation’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, was launched from North Vandenberg on September 12, 2021.
A Ground-based Interceptor missile, an element of the nation’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, was launched from North Vandenberg on September 12, 2021.

U.S. Missile Defense Is Cruising for a Bruising

A new report argues the Pentagon needs to wake up to low-flying threats.

A member of the U.S. Air Force looks on near a Patriot missile battery at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia on Feb. 20, 2020.
A member of the U.S. Air Force looks on near a Patriot missile battery at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia on Feb. 20, 2020.

U.S. Aid to Saudi Arabia on Missile Defense Is Not Unconditional 

Biden must make it clear to Saudi leaders that continued ballistic missile cooperation with China will jeopardize U.S. missile defense assistance.

Serbian Army soldiers fire artillery on the eve of Serbia's Statehood Day in Belgrade on Feb. 14.
Serbian Army soldiers fire artillery on the eve of Serbia's Statehood Day in Belgrade on Feb. 14.

Serbia’s Arms Deals Show It’s Tilting Away From Russia and Toward China

Belgrade’s purchase of FK-3 air defense systems from Beijing marks a shift in Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s diplomatic and defense policy.

A U.S. Navy sailor walks past an MK 41 pad on the USS Chafee (DDG-90), anchored at a South Korean naval port in Donghae.
A U.S. Navy sailor walks past an MK 41 pad on the USS Chafee (DDG-90), anchored at a South Korean naval port in Donghae.

Putin’s Fixation With an Old-School U.S. Missile Launcher

Russia says the Pentagon’s European missile defense isn’t so defensive after all. Does it have a point?

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with U.S President Joe Biden during their meeting at the 'Villa la Grange' in Geneva, Switzerland in Geneva on June 16, 2021.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with U.S President Joe Biden during their meeting at the 'Villa la Grange' in Geneva, Switzerland in Geneva on June 16, 2021.

Biden Set for Putin Call to Ease Ukraine Standoff

The United States is demanding that Russia roll back more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s border.

North Korean missile launch
North Korean missile launch

New Cruise Missile Gives North Korea Lethal Capability

The long-range weapon could strike South Korea, Japan, and U.S. bases in the region.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld meets with retiring commander of CENTCOM Gen. Tommy Franks (left) in Tampa, Florida, on July 7, 2003.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld meets with retiring commander of CENTCOM Gen. Tommy Franks (left) in Tampa, Florida, on July 7, 2003.

Donald Rumsfeld Freed the World From ‘Mutual Assured Destruction’

His thinking on arms control proved prescient—but the howls reverberate to this day.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin (C) leads U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet media during the U.S.-Russia summit at Villa La Grange on June 16, 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland. Biden is meeting his Russian counterpart, Putin, for the first time as president in Geneva, Switzerland.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin (C) leads U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet media during the U.S.-Russia summit at Villa La Grange on June 16, 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland. Biden is meeting his Russian counterpart, Putin, for the first time as president in Geneva, Switzerland.

Was the Biden-Putin Summit a Success?

The White House set clear red lines on cyberwar, but don’t expect much progress in the months to come.

The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system intercepts missiles.
The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system intercepts missiles.

Israel’s Iron Dome Won’t Last Forever

The recent war in Gaza exposes the limits of a key pillar of the country’s defense strategy.

A South Korean soldier stands by a Hyunmoo-2 ballistic missile system
A South Korean soldier stands by a Hyunmoo-2 ballistic missile system

A Quiet Sentence Gives South Korea Back Its ‘Missile Sovereignty’

Seoul had bucked for decades against U.S. restrictions—but China isn’t happy.

Peace activists wearing masks of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden pose with mock nuclear missiles in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Jan. 29.
Peace activists wearing masks of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden pose with mock nuclear missiles in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Jan. 29.

STARTing Over, or the End of the Line for Nuclear Arms Control?

The United States and Russia kick a nuclear can down the road.

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