MISSILE DEFENSE MONDAYS June 30 - July 6, 2020 THE WEEK IN BRIEF Click Here to Watch The Missile Defense Mondays Video On Tuesday, Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D) proposed an amendment to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act which would all the U.S Army to purchase the Russian-made S-400 air defense system from Turkey. The proposal is an attempt to alleviate the deteriorating relationship between the U.S and Turkey, the latter of which was removed from the F-35 program after Ankara acquired the Russian system. Also on Tuesday, Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers launched missiles during Russian drills in the Kamchatka Region of Russia's Far East. Pilots practiced employing missiles against ground targets, as well as performed mid-air refueling. On Wednesday, the U.S Space Force further explained how the newest branch of the armed forces will be organized. The immediate plan sees the Space Force comprised of three field commands: Space Operations Command (SpOC), Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM), and Space Systems Command (SSC). Lt. Gen. David Thompson, vice commander of Space Force headquarters, stated the goal was to create a force "focused on mission effectiveness and agility". Also on Wednesday, a fire and explosion struck a building above Iran's underground Natanz nuclear enrichment facility early in the morning. Iran sought to downplay the incident, and officials did not identify what damaged the building. Speculation in the media, both in Iran and internationally, has focused on potential sabotage or an attack by another nation. On Sunday, it was reported that the U.S had deployed a C-RAM system to Baghdad, where it intercepted a rocket aimed at the U.S Embassy in the Green Zone. Several Iraqi politicians criticized the deployment as a provocation and tensions continue to be high as Iraq's new Prime Minister grapples with a weak economy and pro-Iranian militias who seek to further destabilize the country. Also on Sunday, the Israeli Defense Force reported its Iron Dome missile defenses intercepted at least one rocket fired towards southern Israel from Gaza. Two other rockets were also fired, both of which struck unpopulated areas. There were no injuries and no damage reported from any of the attacks. On Monday, tensions continued to increase in the South China Sea, where two U.S Navy aircraft carriers were deployed over the weekend. China called the U.S carriers "nothing more than paper tigers on China's doorsteps", while the U.S Navy quickly responded on Twitter, "#USSNimitz & #USSRonaldReagan are not intimidated #AtOurDiscretion". Click here to read all of the headlines from the week. MDAA ALERTS Rockets' Red Glare Behind the red glare of the Falcon 9 launch on Tuesday that delivered a U.S. Military advanced global positioning satellite into orbit, is the revolution of the commercial government enterprise of cost reduction and mass delivery to rapidly deploy in Space...  Click here to read more. Nick Ikeda 1965 - 2020 With much Aloha, respect and dampening of Spirit from a tremendous loss. Always positive, Always smiling, Always Kind, Always Generous and Always a true Gentleman. A pillar of expertise with depth of knowledge Highly respected amongst his colleagues in Congress, his associates and friends... Click here to read more. Temperatures Rising As global temperatures rise and sea ice melts, the Arctic has emerged as the frontier for countries to strategically position themselves on top of the world for resources, sea lanes and projection of military power. Recent military exercises by both NATO forces and the... Click here to read more. MDAA WEBSITE UPDATES AND FEATURES Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) As a part of the 2019 Missile Defense Review (MDR), the Trump Administration called for studies into space-based sensor systems. The Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) is the product of that research....  Learn more about HBTSS. Avenger Air Defense System First delivered in 1988, the Avenger air defense system is a vital element of the U.S. Army’s Forward Area Air Defense (FAAD) and Line of Sight-Rear (LOS-R) architecture. The Avenger is a shoot-on-the-move, completely automated, day-and-night capable short-range... Learn more about Avenger. China's Anti-Access Area Denial A2/AD is an attempt to deny an adversary’s freedom of movement on the battlefield. Anti-access –of enemy military movement into an area of operations – utilizes attack aircraft, warships, and specialized ballistic and cruise missiles designed to strike key targets... Learn more about A2/AD. NEWS MDAA IN THE NEWS Team effort emphasized for nation’s missile defense - 7/2/20 - Redstone Rocket MISSILE DEFENSE NEWS US could buy Turkey’s Russian-made S-400 under Senate proposal - 6/30/20 - DefenseNews Missile Defense Chief Looks to Handle Changing Threat - 7/1/20 - U.S DoD Top Democrat announces $500m. in anti-missile funding for Israel - 7/1/20 - Times of Israel Why Japan scrapped a $4 billion missile defense purchase from the U.S. - 7/2/20 - CBS News Is intercepted rocket attack on US embassy a game changer? Analysis - 7/6/20 - The Jerusalem Post Iron Dome Intercepts Rocket Attack, No Injuries - 7/5/20 - Jewish Press THREAT NEWS Russian Navy to receive heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser in 2022 after repairs - 6/30/20 - Tass New Iranian Missile Could Strike Central Europe: Analysis - 6/30/20 - Breaking Defense Tu-95MS strategic bombers launch missiles during drills in Russia’s Far East - 6/30/20 - Tass Iran to unveil surprise missile in honor of 40th anniversary of Iraq-Iran War - 7/1/20 - Almasdar News Russia’s New Anti-Aircraft System Can Destroy Satellites, Commander Says - 7/3/20 - Newsweek Iran claims it built ‘missile cities’ along the Gulf coastline - 7/6/20 - i24 News Tensions heat up in South China Sea as US makes significant show of force - 7/6/20 - CNN OTHER NEWS Here’s how the Space Force will be organized - 7/1/20 - DefenseNews UN Security Council condemns missile attacks on Saudi Arabia - 7/1/20 - AlKhaleej Today Analysts: Fire at Iran nuke site hit new centrifuge facility - 7/2/20 - AP News Wary of China, Australia to boost defense dollars - 7/2/20 - The Washington Times USFK commander dismisses rumors of US military withdrawal from Korean Peninsula - 7/2/20 - HANKYOREH Warrant officers play vital role in missile defense mission - 7/2/20 - DVIDS 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!