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The U.S. strategy for battlefield defense is currently centered around the concept of multiple layers of protection, projecting a "shell" of defensive capabilities over their ground forces. As part of this strategy, are aircraft and missiles.
The aircraft defensive element is comprised of ground attack aircraft and loitering reconnaissance aircraft. The newest and one of the most extremely effective portion of this segment of the defense is a system used both for defense and offense, JOINT Stars, a 727 aircraft carrying a sophisticated down looking radar system. While intended mostly for offense, the system is quite capable of tracking incoming airborne targets. The other airborne systems such as EWACS and those systems like it, provide accurate information on most airborne targets.
One extremely important system is based upon a high flying TRS-1 aircraft which relays information on battlefield events to the field commander, and includes the ability to send range and tracking data to field artillery or through data links to AWACS aircraft in order vector in an attack.
Today, Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles provide the capability to loiter half a day or more over the battlefield. In the case of DarkStar (Tier III Minus), a low observable UAV designed by Lockheed, a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can be carried aloft in a nearly undetectable platform and remain on station for up to 12 hours. This allows for excellent look down features that can discern individual tanks or trucks, passing this information on to artillery or AWACs controllers who can vector in attack aircraft. Global Hawk, a longer loiter capable UAV, provides real time photography using visual, IR and SAR techniques. There may also be ELINT or SIGINT data available to ground controllers (MILNET speculation).
DarkStar is perhaps the height of the high tech versions of UAVs that are underdevelopment, quite dissimilar in cost and procurement then say the Pioneer or other model aircraft-like UAVs. Even the Predator, Tier I minus, based upon the early BQN750 is much more sophisticated and as shown in Bosnia, a major leap forward in ability. The Tier II UAV, GlobalHawk sits between the two types of unmanned platforms, featuring a satellite uplink antenna like DarkStar (but in a different configuration), yet at a much lower cost, and quite a bit less stealthy...whereas Tier I Predator is half again as costly and while stealthy, is no where near the cost expected for DarkStar.
For more information on the UAV programs, consult the 1997 publication, Smart Weapons 1 by Hugh McDaid and David Oliver.
In the last few years, there has been much talk about very low cost, quickly deployable low earth orbit satellites, which can allow a commander to get over the horizon imagery at a moments notice. Development and deployment of such systems, if they existed, would still be highly classified at this point, and subsequently, no real information on capabilities or existence can be expected for a number of years to come.
The U.S. systems have gone from the NIKE and HERCULES systems of the 50s and 60s, to more mobile and capable battlefield systems such as the Avenger, Improved Hawk, and Chapparel. Today's multi-tiered strategy uses the Patriot battery for long range interception, the Chapparel for mid to close range, and the Avenger for very close in engagements.
Much of the reset of U.S. military strategy lie under funded and undeveloped as programs have been cut or scaled back dramatically as part of a drawdown of U.S. military forces.
This trend may reverse however, as the majority Republican Congress and the prospects of a Republican President will undoubtedly change the distribution of funds in the U.S. budget.
A new system is under development, called THAADS for Theater High Altitude Area Defense System. THAADs uses a high velocity interceptor to kill or divert inbound tactical or even ballistic missiles. Tactical missiles are inbound at much higher speeds, probably accelerated, versus the somewhat slow and predictable ballistic warhead. Thus these attackers are much more difficult to defend against. THAADs is a much improved system based upon the Patriot missile design, with much more accurate guidance from the ground station as well as terminal guidance in the missile's warhead.
Anti-Ballistic systems under development come under the Ballistic Missile Defense program as part of the National Missile Defense concept which are descendants of the Strategic Defense Initiative.
In recent years, the ability for launch detection means located in space have provided additional security for ground forces on the battlefield. For this reason, it is expected that future satellite development will integrate further the abilities seen in the Gulf War, the ability to detect launch of and track incoming battlefield missiles.
The strategic assets (perhaps similar to the Defense Support Program satellites) may also be supplemented with "TacSats", low cost, very low earth orbit assets that can be launched from under wing, attain a low orbit and provide the battlefield commander with much needed overhead recon data.
1 Smart Weapons, Copyright 1997, Hugh McDaid and David Oliver, published by Barnes & Noble, Inc. by arrangement with the Orion Group, ISBN 0-7607-07600-X.
