MISSILE DEFENSE MONDAYS November 20th - November 27th, 2023 THE WEEK IN BRIEF On Saturday, November 25th, Taiwan announced mass production of the TC-2 air defense system, utilizing the Sky Sword II missile, was fully underway. After initial testing in March fell short of Army requirements, the system successfully passed a second evaluation in July, leading to approval for large-scale production. The Army aims to acquire 30 mobile missile launchers, six combat control centers, six phased-array radar systems, and 246 Sky Sword II missiles, with an estimated cost of NT$8.8 billion (US$278 million). Developed by Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, the Sky Sword II missile boasts a range of up to 15 kilometers. The TC-2 system, alongside the U.S.-made Avenger missile system, aims to address gaps in Taiwan's air defense through a "layered interception" strategy, with each system capable of firing between 16 and 20 Sky Sword II missiles. On Saturday, November 25th, Russia conducted its largest drone attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, since the beginning of the war, launching nearly 75 Shahed drones from two directions. The attack was described as a "record number" of drones by Ukraine's Air Force. While 71 drones were intercepted across six regions, most were stopped in the Kyiv region. The defense involved anti-aircraft missile troops, tactical aviation, mobile fire groups, and electronic warfare units. The city's military administration urged residents to take cover during the attack. This marks the fourth drone assault on Kyiv in the month. Two people were injured, and several locations, including residential buildings, caught fire.The country is preparing for the possibility of a downed power grid, with increased demand for off-the-grid solutions and backup generators. On Monday, November 27th, Two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen toward a U.S. warship in the Gulf of Aden. The incident occurred after the U.S. Navy responded to a distress call from the Central Park, a commercial tanker that had been seized by armed individuals. The USS Mason, a guided-missile destroyer, and allied ships intervened, demanding the release of the vessel. Subsequently, five armed individuals attempted to flee but surrendered after pursuit by the USS Mason. Later, two ballistic missiles were launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen towards the USS Mason and Central Park, landing in the Gulf of Aden without causing damage or injuries. The tanker, managed by Zodiac Maritime, appears to have links to an Israeli-owned company. The Houthi forces had previously issued warnings against ships associated with Israel in the Red Sea.  Click here to read all of this week's headlines. MDAA Alerts Validation of Our Best Missile Defense Capability "This is our 57th virtual. This one is on the validation of our best missile defense capability that our nation’s produced, that is the Aegis BMD ship that is in the U.S. Navy. It is a 360-degree capable, integrated defense that goes..."  Click here to read more. Building the Coalition of the Willing on Missile Defense for Europe "Esteemed members of the global defense community, we must have an integrated Missile Defense architecture to successfully defend Europe..."  Click here to read more. MISSILE DEFENDER OF THE WEEK Sergeant Dylan Coffey SGT Coffey was born and raised in the small town of Corbin, Kentucky. He graduated from Corbin High School in May of 2018. He enlisted in the United States Army in July 2018. He completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, OK, where he was awarded the military occupation of 14H in February 2019. He relocated to the 13th Missile Defense Battery in Germany at Ramstein Air Base 603rd Air Operation Center as a Sensor Manager from February 2019 to December 2021. He is stationed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in 94th Air and Missile Defense Command as a Sensor Control Officer for the 14th Missile Defense Battery at the 613th Air Operations Center. Click here to view all the awardees from the 2023 Indo-Pacific Missile Defenders of the Year  NEWS HEADLINES MISSILE DEFENSE NEWS Guam naval base may host the US land-based Tomahawk and SM-6 - Bulgarian Military - 11/21/2023 Northrop expects next IBCS package for Warsaw to be cleared ‘very soon’ - Breaking Defense - 11/21/2023 U.S. Homeland Missile Defense: Room for Expanded Roles - Real Clear Defense - 11/21/2023 THREAT NEWS White House declassified intel suggesting Wagner Group is preparing to provide air defense capability to Hezbollah or Iran - CNN - 11/21/2023 US retaliates against Iran-backed militants after ballistic missile strike, officials say - ABC News - 11/21/2023 Russia deploys new nuclear missile in Kaluga region - Reuters - 11/21/2023 OTHER NEWS France Seeks Drone Swarm Air Defense Spoofing - The Defense Post - 11/23/2023 Germany to supply Ukraine with IRIS-T systems in $1.4 billion package - C4ISRNET - 11/24/2023 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!