Wielding the Sword While Forging the Shield

This paper argues that an immediate conceptual focus on and resource commitment to nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and theater missile (NBC/M) counterforce is essential to preserving the ability of the U.S. to project military power and successfully prosecute operations in the near- to mid-term (through 2005-2015). An immediate focus and commitment are essential because the potential contributions of NBC/M counterforce operations remain poorly understood and undervalued, as does the urgent need for NBC/M counterforce capabilities. This paper examines the potential roles and contributions that NBC/M counterforce could make, the inadequacies of our current NBC/M counterforce approach, and the urgency of the need for NBC/M counterforce capabilities. It surveys the NBC/M threat that deployed U.S. forces face using the Middle East as a regional context, since this region presents a particularly troublesome NBC/M case and a likely area for U.S. operations. Using the most current and available data, this paper examines the U.S. Theater Missile Defense shield the active defense Family of Systems and assesses the likelihood of a fielding of adequate active defense capabilities in the near- to mid-term. It reviews and assesses developments in NBC/M counterforce over the past decade, highlighting: operational challenges planners face; areas in which there have been improvements in capabilities; and areas in which capability gaps persist. The paper closes with some recommendations for improving NBC/M counterforce operational capabilities in the near-to mid-term.