By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
A US-Japanese war preparation alliance is expanding an ability to track and counter Chinese ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles and even nuclear missiles with combined warship patrols armed with advanced Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) technology.
In a joint exercise called Resilient Shield 2024, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces merged BMD tactics with US Navy warships to refine targeting, networking, fire control and intercept technologies, a US Navy essay stated. Although the exercise took place in a simulated computer-based environment, it was intended to assess US-Japanese threat detection, targeting and networking synergies with a mind to expanding a BMD envelope for both countries. With technological advances, computer based simulations are increasingly capable of closely replicate key performance parameters of weapons systems, along with actual simulated “live-fire” kinds of scenarios, data networking and advanced targeting.
A US-Japanese BMD capability introduces extremely significant tactical dynamics as it could massively expand a missile-defense envelope throughout vulnerable parts of the Pacific theater. Both the US Navy and Japan operate Aegis-warships, as Japan is an Aegis partner. This is critical as it means both countries’ warships will operate with similar software, technological infrastructure, computing and an ability to share target-track information. The Aegis Combat System is an integrated suite of technologies engineered to use common computing standards, software, fire-control and highly-sensitive radar detection to locate, track and destroy incoming enemy ballistic missiles. The most recent upgrades to Aegis, such as Baseline 10 and software-driven “tech-insertions” enable a single system to perform both Ballistic Missile Defenses as well as Air-and-Cruise-Missile defense, meaning that anti-ship-missiles as well as ballistic missiles and even ICBMs can be tracked and intercepted.
How Attack Submarines Could Save Taiwan
Therefore, an ability to disperse across wide swaths of ocean yet remain connected could enable US and Japanese BMD warships to defend larger areas with greater speed and precision. At sea BMD capability is not only mobile but capable of moving into new positions across distances in the event threat data changes. Unlike land-based missile defenses such as a Patriot or THAAD, which may have mobile launchers and some mobility, BMD-capable ships could reposition across greater distances and operate closer to the Chinese coast. This means BMD weapons would therefore be better positioned to intercept threats earlier in their trajectory after launch. Aegis Systems will be made with common parts, IP protocols and networking transport layer technologies, something enabling target or radar return data to be quickly shared between dispersed warships operating as “nodes” in a networked “shield” of defenses.
US & Japan – SM-3 Block IIA
There are also particular US-Japanese synergies because both countries have recently collaborated extensively on several advanced weapons development programs such as the new SM-3 Block IIA, a larger, longer-range and more precise ship-fired interceptor capable of tracking and destroying enemy missiles, and even ICBMs, just beyond the earth’s atmosphere. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces and US Navy have for years worked together to develop the SM-3 Block IIA, as well as other ship-based interceptors such as the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile Block II, a situation which vastly improves the range and precision of any BMD protective envelope around Japan, Taiwan or areas of the South China Sea.
An ability to operate joint sea-based BMD could prove extremely critical in defending Taiwan, given that many believe a Chinese effort to annex the island is likely to begin with a salvo of attacking ballistic missile designed to overwhelm Taiwanese defenses and destroy its force. A massive salvo might be difficult to completely stop, however forward positioned US and Japanese BMD-capable ships could greatly slow down, blunt or even stop Chinese ballistic missiles headed toward Taiwan from mainland China across the Taiwan Strait. Should the US, Japan and its allies have any kind of advanced information, surveillance or understanding that the PRC is about to launch a large ballistic missile attack, they could forward position BMD-capable ships equipped with Aegis Radar in place to knock out and destroy Chinese missiles.
This kind of networking and collaborative BMD is likely the main focus of the Navy’s Resilient Shield because, true to its name, the exercise seeks to strengthen a US-Japanese ability to “shield” Taiwan, Japan, Korea and even the South China Sea from a surprise or rapid PLA ballistic missile attack. Slowing down a Chinese ballistic missile attack could save large amounts of ground-based aircraft, defense fortifications and troop locations from being quickly destroyed in a series of opening strikes. Multiple wargames exploring an attempted Chinese take-over of Taiwan posit that indeed large numbers of Taiwanese, US and allied aircraft might likely be destroyed while they are on the ground before they take off in a surprise ballistic missile attack. This kind of concern underscores the critical functions played by any kind of US-Japanese allied BMD shield.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization and Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
