THE US-Israel ongoing war against Iran has heightened the salience of missile defense systems.

The substantial deployment of low-cost drones and ballistic and cruise missiles compels defense policymakers to chalk out a viable defensive strategy grounded in aerial defense systems. So far, Iran’s cheaper drone strikes have been intercepted by the US, Israel and Gulf states with costly, advanced missile defensive systems.

The contemporary trends in international politics are driving towards a more anarchic world governed by the law of the jungle, which could spur more countries to pursue nuclear weapons and aerial defences. This perception is likely to reinforce major powers’ already extensive military build-up, including their nuclear capabilities and instigate countries such as South Korea and Japan as well as some in Europe and the Middle East, to become more interested in developing nuclear weapons and defensive systems.

In recent years, low-cost, one-way-attack lethal drones (ranging from large missile-launching uncrewed aircraft and next-generation collaborative loyal wingmen to loitering munitions and small quadcopters carrying explosives) have received immense attention. A drone, costing around $20,000, is manufactured from readily available materials and........

© Pakistan Observer