On Tuesday, November 19, an excerpt from former Forward Defense Program Assistant Jacob Mezey’s Issue Brief “Russian and Chinese strategic missile defense: Doctrine, capabilities, and development” was quoted by an article in The New York Times covering Ukrainian long-range missile strikes into Russia using US-made ATACMS systems. The article cites Mezey’s issue brief to convey that Russia will build up the capability to defend against these strikes over time. Mezey writes that “Russian effectiveness against ATACMS missiles will likely increase, even if slowly, over the course of the conflict, as Russia trains air defense crews to address the threat.”
Forward Defense, housed within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, generates ideas and connects stakeholders in the defense ecosystem to promote an enduring military advantage for the United States, its allies, and partners. Our work identifies the defense strategies, capabilities, and resources the United States needs to deter and, if necessary, prevail in future conflict.