Naval theater ballistic missile defense

The Navy is moving toward deployment of highly mobile and capable active de fense forces to provide protection against Theater Ballistic Missiles. Sea- based Navy Area and Navy Theater Wide Theater Ballistic Missile Defense (TB MD) forces can be forward deployed worldwide, enabling a credible "first on scene" capability without transgressing the territorial waters of sovereig n nations. There are numerous technical and programmatic challenges in rapi dly developing cost-effective systems with the inherent flexibility for tec hnology insertion and upgrades needed to keep pace with the evolving threat . This article describes how the Navy TBMD programs are overcoming these ch allenges, the important role of the Mission Program Manager in the acquisit ion of these urgently needed capabilities, and APL's support of that role.