MISSILE DEFENSE MONDAYS

June 22 - June 28, 2021

THE WEEK IN BRIEF

On Monday, the Missile Defense Agency announced that installation of the Aegis Ashore Poland’s Aegis Weapon System had begun. This accomplishment continues to illustrate the United States’ commitment to employ Aegis Ashore in Poland to provide Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) to Europe.

On Wednesday, it was reported that the Clear Space Force Station will resume the same roles and responsibilities that the base assumed when it belonged to the U.S. Air Force: scanning the horizon for adversary missiles, and notify command and control of incoming threats. Space Force will add to the already-extensive missile defense capability enacted at the base by bolstering the domain-awareness portion of our current defense systems. “It’s about being lean and agile, to adjust to the current competitive environment that we face in the space realm,” Lt. Col. Bill Hassey said. “And we are focused solely on that.”

On Friday,Vice Admiral Jon Hill, Director of the Missile Defense Agency, announced that the missile defense systems that will be deployed to Guam might follow a new, hybrid model. Portions of the future Aegis Ashore site in Guam might be in underground bunkers or mobile platforms due to both the unique terrain difficulties that Guam presents and the inherent vulnerability of being near China.

It was also announced this week that South Korea has approved plans to build its own version of a $2.6 billion artillery interception system, similar to that of Israel's Iron Dome. South Korea's defense agency cited North Korea's range of rocket arsenal as the reason for developing the protective system that could protect Seoul and other key facilities.

Click here to read all of this week's headlines.

MDAA ALERTS

"We Dare Not Tempt Them With Weakness"

Late last month, President Biden submitted his first defense budget – $715 Billion – to Congress, a 2% increase from President Trump’s previous defense budget. As the worldwide missile threat continues to rapidly increase in volume and evolve in complexity, President Biden...

Click here to read more.

MDAA WEBSITE UPDATES AND FEATURES

Aegis Ashore

Aegis Ashore was first announced in 2009 as part of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) and is the land-based variant of the sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system. The system is designed to identify, track, and intercept short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles...

Learn more about Aegis Ashore.

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) possesses an increasingly capable ballistic missile inventory and continues to make progress on its nuclear weapons program. Despite it’s struggling economy, North Korea invests significant financial resources into its weapons...

Learn more about North Korea's capabilities.

MISSILE DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

First Lieutenant Eryn Daman

1st Lt Daman is a Mission Commander with the 2d Space Warning Squadron, Space Delta 4, Buckley Garrison, in Aurora, Colorado. As Mission Commander, she operates and presides over 14 enlisted and officer personnel as part of America’s Premier Missile Warning entity, providing first alert and early warning indications to over 345,000 military, civilian, and allied forces across the globe. Lt Daman played a pivotal alert role in the Iranian Strike against two U.S. based in Iraq on January 7, 2020. As leader of a 15-person team, she worked with four missile warning agencies and created five critical mission plans for eight enemy threat platforms in anticipation of a catastrophic attack on U.S. and Allied forces. Lt Daman’s accuracy, attention to detail, and leadership during the crisis allowed her crew to provide first indications to 5,000 coalition members in the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), leading to zero casualties. Her heroic efforts not only earned the crew a group-level award, but also personal kudos and thanks from USCENTCOM Combined Forces Air Component Commander, Chief of Space Operations, Secretary of the Air Force, and even the President of the United States. Additionally, Lt Daman volunteered to lead a 9-member, 30-day sequester operation to ensure vital missile defense support throughout the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the sequester she was able to operate 300 error-free survival mission hours, and identify and report 23 infrared events. This tremendous execution fulfilled both the Wing Commander’s and Secretary of Defense’s top missile warning priority. Furthermore, Lt Daman created 15 mission plans for 50 new missile profiles, optimizing tactics on eleven satellites for U.S. Space Command. Lt Daman was born and raised in Dewitt, Michigan where she excelled as an athlete and scholar throughout her life. She earned her commission from the Virginia Military Institute in 2018 where she majored in Physics. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science Degree in Exercise Science from Liberty University. Lt Daman has accumulated over 2,000 operational hours on the Space Based Infrared System as part of the Overhead Persistent Infrared Community. She is a certified line tactician and has also earned an Air Force Achievement Medal for her work with the Wing Command Action Group during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Click here to view all the awardees from the 2020 U.S. Missile Defender of the Year Award Ceremony.