As missile threats in the Indo-Pacific grow in number and complexity, defense planners are increasingly converging on a shared conclusion: no nation can protect itself by acting alone. Instead, geography, adversary capabilities and the speed of missile warfare are pushing Allies and Partners toward a networked, multinational approach to integrated air and missile defense (IAMD), where shared sensors, data and decision making are as critical as the interceptors themselves.
The shift reflects the evolving threat environment, which encompasses long-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) capable of overwhelming national defenses. The solution: a regional network where data from any sensor can direct any interceptor, connecting allied and partner systems into an integrated defensive framework.
Three core challenges confront missile defense planners — capabilities, resourcing and coverage — according to Mike Bosack, founder of the Parley Policy Initiative and a special advisor to the Japan-based Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies. “In today’s operational environment, no country can address those three challenges alone,” Bosack told FORUM.
That dynamic drives multinational activities such as the Multilateral Integrated Air and Missile Defense Summit and Senior International Leader Event-Pacific (MISSILEPAC), held in Hawaii in December 2025. Military and civilian experts from more than a dozen nations discussed integrated planning, early warning and collaboration.
“The aim of this year’s activity was to enhance the way forward for interoperability of IAMD with Pacific partners and to discuss the threat and challenges of hypersonic weapons, UAS and ballistic missile threats,” said Australian Army Lt. Col. Cooper Dale, of the Land Capability Division’s long-range fires program.
Such engagements identify potential gaps in air and missile defense architecture before a crisis occurs, Bosack said. They also allow partners to test assumptions about force posture, technology and coverage “in ways that are not doable in everyday circumstances.”
Japan is emerging as a central node in the regional missile defense architecture. Tokyo is investing in interoperable, networked sensors, upgraded ballistic missile defense systems and joint command and control frameworks with longtime ally the U.S. Regular bilateral and multilateral exercises that align ground, air and maritime assets reinforce the initiatives.
“Japan is uniquely positioned for air and missile defense given its archipelagic geography and location along the so-called first island chain from mainland Asia,” Bosack said, referring to the string of archipelagoes stretching from Japan to the Philippines. The ability to deploy sensors and interceptors along the Japanese islands enables coverage that benefits not only Tokyo but also Allies and Partners, including the U.S.
Beyond major anti-missile platforms such as Aegis-equipped destroyers and Patriot batteries, effective IAMD depends on data links, battle management systems and shared procedures. “This equipment means nothing without the support systems necessary to make it effective,” Bosack said, citing the importance of shared early warning, operational networks, trained personnel and communications infrastructure.
Those capabilities are a major focus of institutions including the U.S. Pacific Air Forces’ Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center in Hawaii, which supports multinational education, doctrine development and experimentation. Together with exercises such as MISSILEPAC, the center helps partners build a common language and operational confidence.
“When one country is placing the safety and well-being of its troops and people in the hands of another for protection, every opportunity to demonstrate effective integration and operation elevates both readiness and trust,” Bosack said.
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