The Potential Represented by Missile Defence – Emerging and Disruptive Technology – in the Global Power Balance

Abstract

The rapid exploitation of the scientific research results for military purposes, implementing them in new weapon systems, has become a key factor in the global power relationships. The possession of the nuclear weapon has a relevant contribution to maintaining the high-power status by placing the states having it in the first positions of global military power hierarchy. Emerging technologies, in this case the missile defence, have the capability to threaten or strengthen strategic stability. Missile defence represents a complex system of armaments that includes a variety of capabilities designed to protect different objectives against missile attacks in different ways. The integrated missile defence system (IMDS) entails tracking weapons/missiles to know their location during the travel trajectory, assessing the missile nature and capability, detecting (sensors, radars – early warning), identifying (sensor- or procedure-based), selecting the type of response (rules of engagement), selecting the weapon system to engage the missile (air/ground based-tracking, weapons) and destroying the missile (lethality – tactics and weapons effectiveness). Low observability aircraft – stealth/invisible and network-centred warfare are technologies affecting IMDS performance. The missile defence is largely determined by the improvement of the detection (radars), the assets of engagement (weapon range, tracking, sensor fusion, situational awareness) and the degree of destruction (tactics).