USAF Rapid Airfield Damage Repair (RADR) program to counter threat of long range and accurate ballistic and cruise missiles

In the past 100 years, attacking forces have used a diverse array of weapons to target airfields, including aircraft, missiles, naval guns, artillery, mortars, rockets, satchel charges, and small arms Attacker objectives have also been diverse, including destruction of aircraft and equipment, inflicting casualties, denial of use, capture of the base, and harassment of defenders. Emerging threats include precision standoff systems such as long-range, highly accurate, conventional missile (both ballistic and cruise) are presenting new challenges to air base operations.

“A2/AD capabilities enabled by integrated air defense systems that include advanced fighters, advanced surface-to-air missiles, active and passive cuing systems, and directed energy weapons” make many U.S. fixed facilities vulnerable to attack in ways hard to imagine a decade ago, according to Harry Foster from National Defense University. “These strategies are intended to inhibit U.S. political and operational access to and disrupt U.S. operations in key regions. A central feature of adversary anti-access strategies is capabilities designed to disrupt the operation of U.S. and partner-nation forward air bases,” says RAND report.