Air and Missile Defense: Transformations for 21st-Century Warfighting

Abstract

At the turn of the century, air and missile defense (AMD) warfighting challenges had become increasingly complex, requiring defensive systems to be more capable, resilient, robust, and able to fulfill multiple missions. In response to these challenges, the AMD community made significant advances in the use of multispectrum and multilayered engagement systems, as well as space systems, and cooperation with partners. The transformation of AMD capabilities during the early 21st century pushed the edges of technology integration, operational utility, and coordination of complex global systems of systems. At the forefront of these advances, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has provided game-changing thought leadership, capability innovations, and timely, pragmatic solutions. This article describes some of these transformative capabilities and is dedicated to the APL Air and Missile Defense Sector staff members who contributed to them.