Winning the Salvo Competition: How to Rebuild the Air and Missile Defense Industrial Base
The article argues that modern warfare is defined by large salvos of missiles and drones, making industrial capacity central to defense planning. It highlights that Russia is on track to launch 840 ballistic missiles at Ukraine this year, a 47 percent increase from 2025, and that Ukraine's interception rates for ballistic missiles have dropped from 24 percent to 10.2 percent due to declining stocks of interceptors. The article uses the expansion of production lines for IRIS-T and AMRAAM missiles as case studies, noting that Diehl Defence expanded its workforce and facilities, while RTX used digital manufacturing techniques, and calls for policy alignment to facilitate transatlantic industrial investment.
Why it matters: This matters for the theme of defense industrial capacity, as it underscores the need to scale production to meet the demands of modern salvo warfare.