Which is defined as the successive linkage of commanders who can authorize engagements of air and missile threats?

• A. Keep-Out Range
• B. Kill Chain
• C. Overlapping Fires
• D. Resilience

Answer: (B)

Kill chain is the successive linkage of commanders who can authorize engagements of air and missile threats. In air defense, this chain ties together sensors, command decisions, and weapon actions, moving from threat detection and classification through appropriate authorization to engage, then execution and post-engagement assessment. Each step must pass a valid authority and confirm ROE and risk considerations to prevent misidentification or fratricide, ensuring a coordinated, timely intercept.

Keep-Out Range describes a boundary or constraint for operations, not the decision flow of how an engagement is authorized. Overlapping Fires concerns how multiple fires cover a target area to increase effectiveness, not who has the authority to authorize an engagement. Resilience refers to the ability of the system to absorb, adapt, and recover from disruptions, not the chain of command for engagement authorization.