MISSILE DEFENSE MONDAYS

April 28 - May 4, 2020

THE WEEK IN BRIEF

On Wednesday, a senior Iranian official claimed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had planned to attack 400 American targets in the Middle East if the U.S. retaliated in January after the attacks on the Al-Asad Base in Iraq.

On Friday, the U.S. Army awarded a $6.07 billion contract to Lockheed Martin to produce the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors and associated equipment such as launcher modification kits. It is to be delivered across FY21, FY22, and FY23.

Also on Friday, the Navy awarded a $795 million contract to Fincantieri to begin building a new class of guided-missile frigates. It is the first new major shipbuilding program the service has started in more than a decade. The contract covers one ship for FY20 and extends to as many as nine more ships for a total of $5.58 billion if everything goes according to plan.

On Monday, it was reported that Northrop Grumman and Raytheon are planning to submit a joint proposal to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) for the development of the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI). MDA released on April 24 a request to industry for proposals for the future NGI which is expected to be deployed as early as 2028.

Click here to read all of the headlines from the week.

MDAA ALERTS

Synergy

MDAA’s first virtual Congressional Roundtable was held yesterday, reflecting on the 2019 Missile Defense Review (MDR) and its outlook for the future. The format of our discussion was focused on four segments – intent and origin of the 2019 MDR from the...

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A Long Time Coming

On Friday, April 24, after nine months of long anticipation and great expectations, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) released its request for proposals (RFP) to build the Next-Generation Interceptor (NGI) for the defense of the United States homeland.

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MDAA WEBSITE UPDATES AND FEATURES

C2BMC

The Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) System is a software package used by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and combatant commands to support and integrate ballistic missile defense systems.

Learn more about C2BMC.

Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX)

The Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX) is part of the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) and is designed to detect and establish precise tracking information on ballistic missiles, discriminate missile warheads from decoys and debris, provide data for updating ground-based...

Learn more about SBX.

SAMP/T Air Defense System (France & Itally)

SAMP/T is a theater-level air defense system designed for point defense against current and future airborne threats. One of only a handful of European-produced systems that can counter ballistic missiles, SAMP/T is developed by...

Learn more about the SAMP/T system.

MISSILE DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Captain Eric Grant

CPT Grant enlisted into Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1-265th Air Defense Artillery (ADA) in 2007 as an Air Defense Tactical Operations Center Operator/Maintainer. After reaching the rank of Private First Class, he attended ROTC at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Air Traffic Management while receiving his direct commission and appointment to Second Lieutenant in the Florida Army National Guard. CPT Grant previously served as a Platoon Leader and Executive Officer with Charlie Battery, 1-265th ADA, where he was deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan in 2015-2016 for the Counter-Rocket Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) mission. CPT Grant successfully led his Battery to become the first National Guard Battery to intercept incoming Indirect Fire in Afghanistan. In May 2016, CPT Grant was transferred to Bravo Battery, 1-265th ADA, where he currently serves as the Air Defense Battery Commander deployed in the European Command (EUCOM) in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve and the European Deterrence Initiative. Bravo Battery 1-265th ADA uncased their unit’s flag and colors in Grafenwoehr, Germany on June 20, 2019, as being only the third National Guard Unit to provide Air Defense to Eastern Europe since the Cold War. As the Active Component cannot yet meet Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) requirements, Bravo Battery 1-265th ADA was tasked to support in the interim. Here, the unit is entrusted with providing pivotal SHORAD coordination for the Regionally Aligned Force (RAF) rotations and NATO forces in Europe. CPT Grant currently serves as a Strategic Criminal Analyst with the Florida Army National Guard Counterdrug Program and is assigned to the Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (CFHIDTA) in Lake Mary, Florida. He currently resides in Deland, Florida with his wife April and daughter Arianna. CPT Grant’s military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, NATO Medal, Army Service ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Florida Counterdrug ribbon, Florida Service Medal, Florida Commendation Medal, Florida Meritorious Service ribbon, Florida State Active Duty ribbon w/ three Oak Leaf Clusters.