CSBA hosted a virtual conversation with Gen. Paul Selva, USAF (ret.), former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and CSBA Counselor and former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Amb. Eric Edelman about the future of U.S. missile defense capabilities.
America's currently deployed limited defenses against ballistic missiles date back to the Clinton and George W. Bush Administrations. The missile challenges posed by North Korea (and, potentially, Iran) have been growing in recent years, even as China and Russia modernize their missile inventories. As U.S. efforts to meet the growing threat proceed, what was a targeted capability against relatively small regional nuclear armed missile forces may have to grow in both size and technological sophistication, blurring the line between a limited defense and a system that could be seen as aimed at China and Russia. In addition, Russia and China have been fielding novel and exotic weapons systems meant to defeat U.S. missile defenses, even though such defense systems were never intended to deal with a large, complex nuclear force. Given these developments, how should we think about the role of missile defense in U.S. defense strategy? How should planners view the current systems in Alaska and California? What role should sea-based missile defense systems play? What is the role of directed energy in the future of missile defense? With many competing pressures on budget resources, how should DoD investment priorities be measured? These are among the questions these respected national security experts will consider during the event.
DISCUSSANTS:
- Amb. Eric Edelman, CSBA Counselor and former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy
- Gen. Paul Selva, USAF (ret.), former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
