MISSILE DEFENSE MONDAYS July 18th - July 24th, 2023 THE WEEK IN BRIEF On Tuesday, July 18, it was reported that Ukraine activated aerial defenses in coastal Odesa early Tuesday, authorities said, hours after Russia refused to extend a deal allowing the safe export of grain from the region. “Odesa. Air defense combat work continues,” said Sergiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the Odessa military region, on Telegram. The Odesa region in southern Ukraine is home to maritime terminals that were key to the expired grain export agreement between Moscow and Kyiv. On Wednesday, July 19, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea in what appeared to be a statement of defiance as the United States deployed a nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea for the first time in decades. The launches came as the U.S. and the U.S.-led United Nations Command worked to resolve the highly unusual situation involving a U.S. soldier who crossed into North Korea while on a tour of a border village Tuesday afternoon. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said that from 3:30 to 3:46 a.m. North Korea fired two missiles from an area near the capital Pyongyang that flew about 550 kilometers (341 miles) before landing in waters east of the Korean Peninsula. Also on Wednesday, Sources told local media that the weapon system underwent trial launches earlier this year, marking the culmination of the development and testing phase. Seoul plans to begin mass production of the Hyunmoo-V later this year, with a maximum capacity of 70 units annually. The target is to field up to 200 missiles to support the operations of the future Joint Strike Ship being developed by Hanwha Ocean. On Monday, July 24, According to a report by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) is deploying medium-range Dongfeng 17 (DF-17) hypersonic missiles in southeastern China that could potentially target Taiwan and evade U.S.-built air defense systems. On Sunday (July 23), the South China Morning Post citied that Decker Eveleth, a researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, had published a report titled "People's Liberation Army Rocket Force Order of Battle 2023" on July 3. The report said the PLARF has upgraded its short-range missiles in China's southeastern provinces with medium-range DF-17 missiles. Click here to read all of this week's headlines. MDAA ALERTS Zeal and Zest on the European Flank "As the Ukrainian/Russian War continues with no end in sight, the skills, will, and expertise of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has clearly surpassed most expectations. Leveraging organic capabilities such as utilizing anti-tank guided missiles and loitering munitions while preventing Russia from achieving air superiority in the first days of the conflict, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were able to isolate and prevent Russian ground units from receiving much needed resupply..." Click here to read more. MDAA WEBSITE UPDATES AND FEATURES Ukrainian War Updates Track the number and type of missiles used in the Ukrainian war, the number of casualties, and daily news highlights. Track updates on the conflict in Ukraine. Taiwan Incursion Updates Track the number and type of incursions in the Taiwan Strait, the number of missiles fired, aircraft crossing the ADIZ, and daily news highlights. Track updates on the tensions in the Taiwan Strait. MISSILE DEFENDER OF THE WEEK Specialist 4 Jonah Friese Specialist 4 Jonah B. D. Friese serves as a Mission Crew Chief to the Second Space Warning Squadron (2SWS) Buckley SFB, Colorado. Specialist 4 Friese enables the time critical decisions to ensure 1st alert and early warning indications to US military, civilian, and allied forces across the globe. He enlisted into the Air Force on August 6th, 2019, at JBSA-Lackland Air Force Base. He completed Enlisted Undergraduate Space Training (EUST) at the 533rd Training Squadron, Vandenberg Space Force Base. Spc4 was assigned to the 2nd Space Warning Squadron as a Data Systems Operator. In September of 2020, Spc4 Friese transferred to the United States Space Force. In March of 2022, Spc4 Friese was selected to upgrade to the position of Mission Crew Chief as a result of his outstanding performance and dedication to the mission. Spc4 Friese has accumulated over 1,500 operational hours on the Space Based Infrared System as part of the Overhead Persistent Infrared Community. Spc4 is nominated for the DOY award for the pivotal alert role he played in the USEUCOM support during the Russian attack on Ukraine where he supervised the collection, validation, and reporting of 1,651 missiles and 7,506 infrared events. Throughout the conflict, Spc4 Friese was charged with providing early warning of missile threats to USEUCOM, NATO’s AIRCOM/BMDOC, and forty-three million Ukrainians. His outstanding leadership and performance were key to the unit winning Space Operations Command’s Space Power Discipline Unit of the Year Award for 2021. Spc4 Friese is an inspiration to the unit as both a missile warning expert and outstanding leader. He led the world’s #1 Missile Warning Unit by reporting 10,724 high priority infrared events and 1,972 missile events to 11 Combatant Commands and 345,000 United States and NATO personnel abroad. Spc4 Friese further highlighted his leadership by managing a 5-man mission cell during the Delta 4 & Delta 7’s Small Force Exercise, his efforts led to the establishment of a new process to integrate the OPIR mission with ground-based early warning radars. Click here to view all the awardees from the 2022 U.S. Missile Defender of the Year Award Ceremony. NEWS HEADLINES MISSILE DEFENSE NEWS Ukraine Activates Air Defenses in Odesa Region - The Defense Post - 07/18/2023 Aselsan's new air defense system to debut next week - Hurriyet Daily News - 07/19/2023 Lockheed secures $221M Army deal for high-powered air defense laser prototype - Breaking Defense - 07/20/2023 THREAT NEWS North Korea fires 2 short-range missiles into the sea as US docks nuclear submarine in South Korea - Yahoo News - 07/19/2023 As Iran launches air force drill, US beefs up plane fleet in Persian Gulf - The Times of Israel - 07/24/2023 OTHER NEWS S. Korea Completes Hyunmoo-V Ballistic Missile Development - The Defense Post - 07/19/2023 Sen. Case: Defense authorization bill passed by House fails on national issues but strengthens Hawai‘i’s role in Indo-Pacific - Big Island Now - 07/22/2023 Stay Connected: MDAA | 515 King Street, Suite 330, Alexandria, VA 22314 Unsubscribe [email protected] Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!