Future War and Counterproliferation

The United States faces a small number of rogue states that either have or are working to acquire weapons of mass destruction. These NASTIs or NBC-Arming Sponsors of Terrorism and Intervention include such states as North Korea Iraq Iran Libya and Syria. U.S. nonproliferation programs and policies have helped to keep this number small but U.S. and allied counterproliferation programs are essential to reduce the danger. It is up to deterrence active defenses passive defenses decontamination and counterforce to turn enemy weapons of mass destruction into instruments of limited destructive effect.Warfighters will also have to adopt a different strategy and concept of operations in fighting an adversary that is so heavily armed. This strategy will feature a combination of deception dispersion mobility and maneuver diffused logistics remote engagement missile defense bubbles non-combatant evacuation operations and large area decontamination. It will also involve upgrades to NBC passive defense measures and equipment as well as a counterforce capability that can find and destroy a variety of adversary targets including mobile launchers and deeply buried and hardened underground structures.