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1 1 (February 24, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govecis0001 and id is 1 raw text is: C o g r s i o a R e s a r c S e i c 0 February 24, 2021 Integrated Air Defense Systems (IADS) and Military Ranges For as long as aerial warfare has existed, the continual expansion of offensive air and missile weapons capabilities has led militaries to develop commensurate defensive capabilities. These air defense systems (also called air and missile defense (AMD) systems) provide surveillance, tracking, command and control, and weapons delivery capabilities to battlefield commanders. Historically, AMD systems were independently operated and managed by each military service. Gradually, they became more connected, and today several of these systems can communicate and operate collectively. This is basis for the concept of an integrated air defense system, or IADS. According to the Department of Defense (DOD), an IADS is not a formal system in itself, but the aggregate of Service / functional component and agency AMD systems. Considered part of what DOD terms defensive counterair (DCA), an IADS' purpose is to protect military assets and vital locations from aerial threats. Conversely, countering an enemy's IADS by destroying, suppressing, or otherwise neutralizing their system is part of what DOD defines as offensive counterair (OCA). The U.S. military tests and trains to effectively employ an IADS as well as counter an enemy's IADS. Training for and conducting DCA and OCA activities typically requires a significant amount of air and ground space, along with access to, and control of, the associated electromagnetic spectrum (see CRS In Focus IF11155, Defense Primer: Military Use of the Electromagnetic Spectrum, by John R. Hoehn). Military ranges-defined under 10 U.S.C. §101(e)-that support IADS generally correspond to large-scale ranges used for aviation training. These ranges have the required land, defined airspace (called a military operations area or MOA), and when necessary sea space, available to employ multiple AMD systems. DOD states that several of these ranges are now regularly operating at full capacity to support numerous types of military units from across the joint force (e.g., aviation units, marine amphibious forces, special operations forces). At some locations, non-DOD federal agencies and coalition partners also make use of these ranges. This has presented a capacity challenge for the Military Services who schedule and manage range use. Further exacerbating the issue, DOD asserts that recent technology increases in IADS capabilities have necessitated an increase in testing and training space (i.e., range size). This has led DOD to request from Congress expansion of, and in some cases additional access to, certain ranges that could support modern IADS testing and training-along with several other readiness requirements. Congress faces the issue of addressing DOD's request for additional range space and access at certain locations, as DOD seeks to fully train for advances in IADS. What is a Modern lADS? Potential adversaries like Iran, Russia, and China have identified airpower as a primary U.S. advantage in military operations. As a result, several of these nations have developed sophisticated IADS to counter U.S. military capabilities. This includes networking multiple types of ground-based radars (e.g., long-range surveillance radar, engagement radar) with mobile command posts and air and space-based capabilities to provide a larger, and more comprehensive, picture of the battlespace (Figure 1). This creates a challenge for U.S. forces because there is no single sensor or missile to neutralize, but rather a distributed network to contend with. Figure 1. How a Modern IADS Functions NOT TO SCALE Cooperative Engagement Sequence 1. Radar acquires target 2. Missiles at location are out of range 3. Passes target track data to another site 4. Fires active seeker missile at target 9. Active missile seeker acquires target 6. Target is destroyed Active Sek \Surfae-to-Alr SAMissile) SAM) Source: Adapted from Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies report titled Modern Russian and Chinese Integrated Air Defence Systems, January 2020. Additionally, advances in U.S. and foreign technologies- particularly in microelectronics and processing power- have significantly increased the ranges IADS are able to surveil, track, and engage targets. These are the modern IADS capabilities U.S. forces employ; they are also the modern IADS threats U.S. forces face. Selected Foreign IADS Capabilities For over 10 years, Russia and China have developed sophisticated anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) systems in an attempt to prevent U.S. forces from accessing certain areas and regions. Capabilities of A2/AD systems-which include IADS-continue to increase, consequently increasing the distance from which U.S. forces must operate to avoid detection and potential harm. One of the most challenging foreign IADS capabilities that U.S. forces may encounter is the Russian developed S-400 missile system (SA-21 Growler). This weapons system uses radars with ranges of up to 400 kilometers (-250 miles), paired with missiles that can reach similar distances. An ittps://crsreports.congress.gc

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