On Tuesday, it was reported the U.S. Army plans to conduct a shoot-off to determine the best options for the future indirect fires protection capability (IFPC). The new IFPC is expected to defend against rockets, artillery, mortars, and cruise missiles. The shoot-off is planned to take place at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2021. The Army then plans to deliver the initial capabilities by Fiscal Year 2023.

Also on Tuesday, Lockheed Martin announced it will begin testing the Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) at Clear Air Force Station, Alaska this spring. Workers at the site have started installing 10 large sensors, or “panels” to the LRDR’s main structure, and 10 more are on their way to Alaska. Together, the 20 panels will be able to detect and track incoming enemy ballistic missiles much more accurately than the existing radar systems. LRDR is expected to be operational by the end of the year.

On Wednesday, a source in Russia’s military industry told Russian media that the 3M22 Zircon hypersonic missile will undergo testing from the K-560 Severodvinsk submarine. Although an exact date wasn’t specified, it is known that the testing will take place from an underwater firing position. The Zircon is believed to have a flight range of over 1,000 km and is expected to be based aboard both surface ships and submarines, including vessels equipped to carry existing Kalibr-class cruise missiles.

Also this week, an Iranian backed Shia militia group in Iraq launched Katyusha rockets at the Taji Air Base on two separate occasions. The first attacked occurred on Wednesday night, when 30 rockets were launched from the back of a modified truck. Two American soldiers and a British soldier were killed and 14 other service members were injured during the attack. The second attack occurred on Saturday when another 25 rockets were launched at the base, which injured five coalition troops.

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