Centralized Command and Control of Theater Missile Defense: The Joint Force Missile Defense Component Coordinator

Theater missile defense, a deduced deficiency from Desert Storm, garnered much attention in the decade preceding Iraqi Freedom. While theater missile defense during Iraqi Freedom resulted in complete success by effortlessly countering all ballistic missiles fired from Iraq, missile technology and proliferation has exacerbated the need to reevaluate joint doctrine. The future combat environment requires theater missile defense to be at the forefront of the joint task force, vice being delegated down the command and control structure. The numerous commands, decentralized command and control, and limited and expensive resources involved in TMD require changes to the joint doctrine in order to provide unity of command and economy of force. An examination of current doctrine and past performances in the missile defense arena reveal that a joint force missile defense component commander should be appointed in theaters requiring missile defense. This component commander should also have tactical control of joint forces possessing missile defense capabilities in order to truly give the joint force commander centralized command and control with decentralized execution of this critical mission.