
Wes Rumbaugh is a fellow in the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. His work focuses on missile defense, conventional long-range strike, and defense budgets and organizations. He has published on the composition of the Missile Defense Agency budget, homeland ballistic missile defense, new operational concepts for missile defense systems, the role of elevated sensors in missile strike and defense, and trends in hypersonic strike. Previously, he was director of advocacy and a Van Cleave fellow at the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. He holds a BS in political science from Missouri State University.
Areas of Expertise
In the News 8 of 13 results
Experts gauge success of 'bunker buster' bombs dropped by US on Iran nuclear sites
Wes Rumbaugh cited in FOX News — June 24, 2025
Operation Spider’s Web shows how creative Ukraine can get in taking fight to Russia
Wes Rumbaugh cited in The Washington Examiner — June 2, 2025
Trump Announces "Golden Dome" Missile Shield Concept
Wes Rumbaugh appearance on CNN — May 20, 2025
President Donald Trump wants to create a ‘Golden Dome’ for the U.S. What would that actually look like?
Wes Rumbaugh cited in The Independent — May 10, 2025
Can Donald Trump’s Iron Dome plan keep America safe?
Tom Karako, Wes Rumbaugh, and Masao Dahlgren in The Economist — August 11, 2024
How fear of ‘escalation’ has Biden admin handcuffing Ukraine against Russia
Wes Rumbaugh in New York Post — June 21, 2024
The Six-Bladed 'Ninja-Bomb’ Used to Take Out Key Human Targets
Wes Rumbaugh in The Wall Street Journal — May 23, 2024
Houthi fight extracts heavy cost from Pentagon
Wes Rumbaugh in The Hill — March 2, 2024
All Wes Rumbaugh Content
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Prioritizing Air and Missile Defense Spending in the Broader Budget Debate
Podcast Episode by Wes Rumbaugh — June 5, 2025

Prioritizing Air and Missile Defense Spending in the Broader Budget Debate
Commentary by Wes Rumbaugh — June 5, 2025
Did the U.S. Defense of Israel from Missile Attacks Meaningfully Deplete Its Interceptor Inventory?
Critical Questions by Wes Rumbaugh — December 4, 2024
“Cost and Value in Air and Missile Defense Intercepts”: Audio Brief with Wes Rumbaugh
Podcast Episode by Wes Rumbaugh — February 14, 2024

Cost and Value in Air and Missile Defense Intercepts
Commentary by Wes Rumbaugh — February 13, 2024
Homeland Cruise Missile Defense
Event — July 14, 2022
North America Is a Region, Too
Report by Tom Karako, Ian Williams, Wes Rumbaugh, Ken Harmon, and Matthew Strohmeyer — July 14, 2022
Seeking Alignment: Missile Defense and Defeat in the 2022 Budget
Brief by Wes Rumbaugh and Tom Karako — December 10, 2021
Extending the Horizon: Elevated Sensors for Targeting and Missile Defense
Brief by Wes Rumbaugh and Tom Karako — September 27, 2021
The Air and Missile War in Nagorno-Karabakh: Lessons for the Future of Strike and Defense
Critical Questions by Shaan Shaikh and Wes Rumbaugh — December 8, 2020