Last Friday, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) conducted an intercept test of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. During the test, THAAD successfully intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target and it was the first time THAAD used a new remote launcher kit ability to extended the range of THAAD’s defended area.
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Esper signed off on a plan to defer $3.6 billion in military construction funds to build 175 miles of walls along the U.S. southern border. This deferral included $8 million allocated by Congress to expand Missile Field 1 at Fort Greely, Alaska with two additional backup interceptors for when existing GBIs need repair and maintenance.
Also on Tuesday, the U.S. imposed sanctions, for the first time, on Iran’s space agency for its involvement in the regime’s ballistic missile development. The announcement came five days after a rocket exploded at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in the northern province of Semnan.
On Wednesday, Raytheon offered a boostless version of its Sky-Ceptor interceptor to Poland as an option for the country to fulfill its Narew short-range and Wisla medium-range air defense requirements. Missile maker MBDA also offered its Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) to Poland as an option for its Narew program.
On Thursday, President Putin said Russia would produce missiles that were banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty that ended last month, but Moscow would not deploy them unless the U.S. did. The U.S. withdrew from the INF Treaty in August after warning Russia for months its deployment of the SSC-8 cruise missile violated the treaty.
On Friday, Saudi air defenses destroyed a ballistic missile fired by militias from Yemen towards Najran. The attack comes the day after a similar Houthi missile attack was intercepted and destroyed by the Royal Saudi Air Defense. Saudi Arabia rejected the recent escalation in Yemen and repeated its call for dialogue.
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