Closing the Air and Missile Defense Gap in the Indo-Pacific

The United States and its Indo-Pacific allies face a critical air and missile defense gap against China, whose massive, low-cost arsenal could overwhelm their expensive interceptors within the first day of a conflict. To counter this vulnerability, experts tested the feasibility of a networked coalition defense system connecting the U.S. with Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Taiwan. While unifying command and control is politically difficult, the study found that partners could realistically link their sensor networks to dramatically improve early warning and threat tracking. This approach enables concepts like "latent link," where shared sensor data creates a common operating picture, allowing each nation to better defend itself without ceding control of its weapons.