Ballistic and Cruise Missiles and the Air and Missile Defense Systems Designed to Defeat Them

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Missile Defense Project, Missile Threat Website

The Missile Threat website brings together authoritative and up-to-date open source information and analysis about ballistic and cruise missiles around the globe and the systems designed to defend against them. Missile Threat is a product of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which looks at a wide range of policy, program, and strategic issues related to missile defense. Technological and geopolitical factors have driven increased global supply and demand for high-velocity, unmanned, missile-based weapons and their corresponding counters. Besides more recognized cruise and ballistic missile threats, global missile proliferation now consists of a spectrum including precision-guided rockets, anti-ship missiles, air defenses, hypersonic delivery systems, and counterspace weapons.

Within CSIS’ International Security Program and directed by Senior Fellow Thomas Karako, the project’s research considers the most pressing problems of the day, such as homeland missile defense, integrated air and missile defenses for U.S. forces and allies abroad, offensive strike capabilities, and investments in high technology to defeat missile threats through new and innovative means. The project also hosts a variety of events to shape the debate about policy, budgets, legislation, and both current and future programs.