On Wednesday, December 6th, Israel's Arrow air defense system intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen over the Red Sea, targeting the southern city of Eilat. Although sirens were triggered, the missile did not enter Israeli airspace, and there was no threat to civilians. The Houthis claimed responsibility, citing attacks on military targets in the Eilat area. This marks the fourth interception by the Arrow system during the Israel-Hamas war. Meanwhile, Hezbollah, supported by Iran, continued daily attacks on northern Israel. The IDF responded with artillery and tank fire in southern Lebanon, escalating tensions along the northern border since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October.

On Thursday, December 7th, in written testimony for the House Armed Services Committee, it was revealed that the Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense site in Poland will be set to become operational after facing construction delays and geopolitical changes since its initiation in 2009. Navy Rear Adm. Douglas Williams provided details, indicating that the site would be formally accepted into the Navy's inventory on December 15, 2023. Upgrades will continue until May 2024, with NATO assuming command and control in July 2024. The Aegis Ashore Poland, located in Redzikowo, is part of the broader European defense against ballistic missile threats. The site utilizes the Aegis Combat System and Standard Missile 3 interceptors, with potential considerations for hypersonic threats.

On Monday, December 11th, The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), in collaboration with various commands, successfully conducted a test of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system. Using an upgraded Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) in two-stage mode, the test demonstrated the system's enhanced capability to engage Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs) more rapidly. The upgraded GBI featured a new kill vehicle and integrated sensor data from different radar systems. The test also introduced the 2-/3-Stage selectable GBI capability, which will increase battlespace flexibility for homeland defense. The GMD system aims to protect against ballistic missile threats from rogue nations, with a focus on intermediate- and long-range ballistic missiles. The successful test highlights ongoing improvements in the existing interceptor fleet and the development of Next Generation Interceptor technology by the MDA.

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