Defensive Researches and Management

Defensive Researches and Management

The ideal model of multi-layered air defense in the face of modern air-based threats

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Yaser Khorrami 1
seyed mohammad javad navandi shiraz 2
1 Imam Hosein Comprehensive University
2 Imam Sadegh University
Abstract
Rapid changes in the nature of air-based threats, especially the emergence of combined salvo attacks including ballistic and cruise missiles, mass drones, and electronic warfare, have seriously challenged the classic air defense structures. Due to its geopolitical location and continuous threats, the Islamic Republic of Iran is increasingly exposed to these types of complex threats. The present study, with an analytical-descriptive approach and comparative studies, while analyzing the nature of new threats, explains the necessity of transitioning from a system-oriented model to a multilayered and network-oriented air defense model. The proposed framework is based on three fundamental principles: structural resilience through a decentralized cluster architecture, a smart defense economy based on the combination of capabilities, and cognitive superiority using data-centricity and light artificial intelligence. This model shows that by redefining the criteria for success from absolute impenetrability to increasing the cost to the attacker, sustainable, cost-effective, and repeatable air security can be created. On the eve of a conceptual revolution in defense thinking, this article outlines the transition path from technological superiority to intelligent resilience and emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and rethinking long-held assumptions in security studies.
Keywords
Resilient air defense
new airborne threats
salvo attacks
multilayer network-based model
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 23 December 2025
  • Revise Date 27 February 2026
  • Accept Date 05 September 2026