MISSILE DEFENSE MONDAYS April 14 - April 20, 2020 MDAA Virtual Congressional Roundtable Click here to learn more and RSVP for the event. THE WEEK IN BRIEF Click Here to Watch The Missile Defense Mondays Video On Tuesday, North Korea fired a barrage of missiles from the ground and fighter jets that landed in the East Sea. The projectiles are presumed to be cruise missiles, which would be the first cruise missile launch since the Kumsong-3 was tested in June 2017. On Wednesday, it was reported that China might be secretly conducting nuclear tests with very low explosive power despite Beijing’s assertions that it is adhering to international rules banning all nuclear tests. The report doesn’t present actual proof, but it does cite an array of activities that raise concerns which state China might not be respecting the “zero-yield” testing-ban. The concerns come from the high tempo activity at China’s Lop Nur test site, extensive excavations there, and Beijing’s purported use of special chambers to contain explosions. Also on Wednesday, it was reported that Russia had tested a ground-based, direct-ascent anti-satellite weapon, drawing criticism from U.S. Space Command (SPACEOM). The DA-ASAT can target satellites in low-Earth orbit, which is up to 1,200 miles above Earth. It is believed Russia has conducted seven tests of the DA-ASAT since 2014. On Thursday, Russian media reported that the Zircon hypersonic missile has been sent for underwater testing on the Project 885 Yasen-class nuclear submarine. Although the exact date remains to be decided, three or four launches are scheduled for this year in the Barents Sea from the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, after which the missile will be tested underwater from the Severodvinsk. Click here to read all of the headlines from the week. MDAA ALERTS False Bravado Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus on the Asian Continent, North Korea has vowed they are not affected by the outbreak. In March, North Korea’s government informed the World Health Organization the country did not have a single case of COVID-19. Click here to read more. MDAA WEBSITE UPDATES AND FEATURES Kumsong-3 The Kumsong-3 is a variant of the Russian-made cruise missiles: the KH-35 and KH-35U. Originally designed in 1983 by the Soviet Union, the North Korean variant more closely resembles the KH35U which Russia deployed in 2003.  Learn more about the Kumsong-3. Japan Japanese involvement in missile defense dates back to the deployment of the Nike-J missile, a conventionally tipped version of the Hercules missile, which was the result of a Memorandum of Understanding that was finalized in 1967. Learn more about Japan's missile defenses. SeaRAM Anti-Ship Missile Defense System The SeaRAM Anti-Ship Missile Defense System is a sea-based self-defense weapon that protects naval ships from supersonic and subsonic threats. These threats include cruise missiles, drones, and enemy aircraft, as well as small boats. Learn more about the SeaRAM. MISSILE DEFENDER OF THE WEEK Captain Nolan Hebein Capt Hebein is an Acquisition Manager assigned to the Small Launch and Targets Division (ECLX), Launch Enterprise, Space and Missile Systems Center as the Operations Branch Deputy Chief and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Mission Manager, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. Capt Hebein is from Illinois and graduated from Grant Community High School in May 2010. He graduated and commissioned from the United States Air Force Academy in May 2014 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Foreign Area Studies with a focus on Latin America. In 2018, while assigned to ECLX, Capt Hebein deployed to the 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, Al Udeid AB, Qatar. Capt Hebein was a Current Operations Advisor that tracked and reported over 3000 missions across 4 AORs including over 40 million pounds of fuel delivered, over 450 bombs dropped, and 198 members medically evacuated. As the Operation Branch Deputy Chief, Capt Hebein oversees 13 government and commercial space launch missions, including multiple Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and target vehicle missions. Capt Hebein led the development of a highly successful MDA Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Flight Target Missile and two U.S. Army Lower Tier Projects Office Target Missiles missions. Specifically, Capt Hebein directly served as the program manager and target vehicle lead, in which he led the development of the MDA’s Flight Test THAAD-23 (FTT-23) target missile mission and two Patriot target missiles to conduct threat-representative Operational Test & Evaluation (OT&E) for each weapon system. For FTT-23, Capt Hebein led integrated process team meetings over the past 18 months to ensure the target missile presented a true, threat representative target. The FTT-23 mission was highly successful, due to the high-fidelity threat representative target that Capt Hebein developed. In his second mission, Capt Hebein led a target design review, kicked-off an 18-month build, and synchronized two new qualification programs which expanded Patriot target range to match real-world, threat scenarios. He built a strategic procurement plan that permitted a new baseline Patriot OT&E and expedited the U.S. Army’s OT&E by three years. Capt Hebein’s military awards include the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Air Force Longevity Service, and the Air Force Training Ribbon. Click here to view the winners from the 2019 U.S. Missile Defender of the Year. MDAA IN THE NEWS The Mike Buck Show Riki Ellison on the Mike Buck Show on April 20, 2020. Riki and Mike discuss North Korean testing amid the Coronavirus and a potential 'Pacific Deterrence Initiative.' Listen to the interview. North Korea Conducts First Cruise Missile Launch since 2017, South Korea Reveals - 4/20/2020 - National Review North Korea fires multiple suspected cruise missiles to display its range of arsenal - 4/20/2020 - Blasting News NEWS MISSILE DEFENSE NEWS JADC2 Needs To Change Course: More C2, Less Comms – 04/14/2020 – Breaking Defense Destroyer USS Roosevelt Now in Europe, USS Porter Operating in Black Sea – 04/16/2020 – USNI News DRS Laurel to build 59 more AN/SPQ-9B shipboard missile-defense radar systems for cruisers and destroyers - 04/16/2020 - Military & Aerospace Electronics Thornberry wants $6 billion this year to launch counter-China fund – 04/16/2020 - DefenseNews Key Republican proposes $6B to counter China in Indo-Pacific – 04/17/2020 – The Hill THREAT NEWS North Korea fires barrage of missiles from ground and air –04/14/2020 - Associated Press Russia Says It’s Ready for Hypersonic Missile Talks with US – 04/14/2020 – Voice of America Russia Flexes Space Muscle with Anti-Satellite Weapon Test – 04/16/2020 – Air Force Magazine Possible Chinese Nuclear Testing Stirs U.S. Concern – 04/16/2020 – The Wall Street Journal Nearly a dozen Iranian vessels come dangerously close to US military ships in the Gulf, Pentagon says – 04/16/2020 – CNBC News China’s island fortifications are a challenge to international norms – 04/17/2020 – Defense News Russia to test its first submarine-based hypersonic missiles – 04/17/2020 – Russia Beyond Russian anti-aircraft gunners repel enemy air attack in Arctic drills – 04/17/2020 – Russian News Agency Russian missile cruiser heading to Syria – 04/20/2020 – Al-Masdar News S-350 anti-aircraft missile system to boost Russia’s defense from cruise missiles fourfold – 04/20/2020 – Russian News Agency Russia Tests Anti-Satellite Missile the U.S. Space Force Calls Disturbing – 04/20/2020 – ClearanceJobs News OTHER NEWS Hypersonics: 5 More Army-Navy Flight Tests By 2023 – 04/16/2020 – Breaking Defense Turkey repeats working group offer to U.S. to solve row over Russian defense purchase – 04/16/2020 – AzerNews Russia shows willingness to include new nuke, hypersonic weapon in arms control pact – 04/20/2020 – Defense News See video of a Russian jet intercepting US Navy P-8 Poseidon for second time in less than a week – 04/20/2020 – Navy Times Defense budget cuts following the pandemic will be hard to swallow – 04/20/2020 – The HIll Stay Connected: ‌ ‌ ‌ 515 King Street, Suite 330, Alexandria, VA 22314 Unsubscribe [email protected] About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected] in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!