The former skipper of two Aegis guided-missile cruisers walks us through integrated air and missile defense—what it is in reality, an d the vision of what it’s supposed to be.
Integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) is an overarching term that subsumes both ballistic-missile defense (BMD) and Fleet air defense (FAD). While it is true that the systems, units, and personnel employed in both elements are often the same, and that this commonly leads to the impression that there is a unity in the conduct of both, this is far from absolute truth.