The requirement for missile and air defence

Executive summary

• There is a growing recognition that Britain’s air and missile defences need improvement given the development and proliferation of missile threats, not least from Russia’s Northern Fleet.
• However, there is a lack of clarity on what the United Kingdom’s (UK) requirements should be.
• The push towards Integrated Air and Missile Defences (IAMD) should come alongside efforts to put opponents on the back foot. Efforts to improve the UK’s ability to go after launch platforms reduces the number of missiles IAMD will have to contend with.
• UK IAMD should be tailored towards the most significant dangers and prioritise the most important infrastructure to defend, and be flexible enough to adapt to changes in the threat picture.