Integrated Air and Missile Defence remains a key capability that Australia doesn’t yet employ. Is it time to commission a ‘Down Under’ Dome? ⬇️
Breaking Defense this week reported on Turkey’s new Steel Dome, a domestically designed and manufactured integrated Air and Missile Defence system. This system of systems will seek to defend Turkey at high, medium, and low altitudes and coordinate a range of sensors and effectors in a defensive web. Like the US ‘Golden Dome’ concept, Turkey is seeking to emulate Israel’s Iron Dome and defend against air strikes, missiles, and drones.
It is a reminder that Australia still has a capability gap in Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD). As Australian Strategic Policy Institute Analyst Malcom Davis states, this is one area yet to be adequately addressed in the Integrated Investment Plan:
“Last year’s Defence Strategic Review identified the capability gap, noting that a layered IAMD system—comprising a battle management system, command and control network, sensors and interceptor batteries—must be delivered urgently. ‘Defence must reprioritise the delivery of a layered IAMD capability, allocating sufficient resources to the Chief of Air Force to deliver initial capability in a timely way and subsequently further develop the mature capability,’ it said.”
While Australia deliberates on our IAMD system, other countries are acting. The War Zone has an interview with Andriy Hyrtseniuk, the new head of Ukraine’s Brave1 on the rapid development of sovereign missile and air and missile defence capability. Brave1’s initiatives are seeing solutions tested in battle as we speak:
“When Brave1 launched, there were no private companies that built missiles, and right now, we have dozens of companies already working on different classes of missiles. And this is the market that was created from scratch. It was our focus, our discussions and meetings with the companies working in this closed area. We are persuading and motivating them and focusing them to join the missiles program, and we see how successful it has become. We started this missile program at the end of 2024 and right now, a few dozen companies already have the solutions.”
The Defence Strategic Review outlined the need and proliferation of long range strike has only accelerated since then. Israel and Turkey are two nations with significant Defence Industrial bases, but this has been a deliberate decision as part of respective grand strategies.
If the free world can’t supply Ukraine with enough munitions for Air and Missile Defence, can we really expect offshore suppliers to be able to meet Australia’s needs should competition give way to conflict? Sovereign and onshore manufacturing of interceptor missiles in particular can enhance national preparedness and resilience.
Food for thought!
📷 via Aselan on X and articles from Breaking Defense, The War Zone and Reuters are in the comments.