The Navy Air and Missile Defense Command was created as a "warfare center of excellence," concentrating on the integrated air and missile defense mission.1.Intelligence agencies estimate there are more than 100,000 anti-ship cruise missiles in existence,2.The newest missile versions are supersonic, sea-skimming weapons that can perform evasive maneuvers and home in on a target with multiple seekers.3.As dangerous as the sophisticated cruise missiles are, a greater threat may be coming, U.S. intelligence officials say.The rapid proliferation of increasingly capable anti-ship cruise missiles and the expected advent of ballistic missiles able to target ships at great distances are presenting a potentially severe threat to the U.S. Navy's dominance of the world's oceans. In recognition of that growing threat, Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations (CNO), ordered the formation of a "warfare center of excellence" that would concentrate on the defense of U.S. and allied ships and forces ashore from missiles and manned aircraft.
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