Michael O'Hanlon

About the author: Michael O'Hanlon is a foreign policy scholar at the Brookings Institution and the author of Technological Change and the Future of Warfare.

Cruise missiles (jet-powered low-flying guided missiles) can pose a serious threat to the national security of the United States, especially if terrorist groups gain possession of them. Such missiles are relatively small, can be launched from ships, are hard to detect, and could be configured to carry chemical or biological weapons. However, cruise missile attacks could possibly be defended against by using radar to detect them and interceptor missiles launched from ships, fighter aircraft, or surface-to-air missile sites to destroy them. The United States should seriously consider establishing a national defense against cruise missile attacks and should increase research funding in this area...