MISSILE DEFENSE MONDAYS July 7 - July 12, 2021 THE WEEK IN BRIEF On Wednesday, the U.K. Ministry of Defense announced that The Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers will receive a 50% increase of surface-to-air missiles as part of a major weapons refit. The Type 45s provide air defense for the U.K.'s Carrier Strike Group, among other tasks. On Thursday, three rockets were fired at the United States embassy in Iraq at the end of a day marked by rocket and drone attacks on bases hosting American forces in Iraq and Syria. Recent attacks on U.S. military and diplomatic facilities have been blamed on pro-Iranian groups within a state-sponsored paramilitary force. Although the embassy itself was not hit, three nearby places within Baghdad's Green Zone, were. It was reported on Friday that The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Ground Forces put its new weapons and aircraft on display during a ceremony held on July 7. The Ground Forces received new precision-guided missiles, as well as various long-range drones designed for combat scenarios and "suicide missions". Also on Friday, VOA published that a top U.S. military official with the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command voiced concern that lawmakers might not be taking the threat of China's missiles seriously enough. Not only is the Pentagon and intelligence community focused on the military threat, however, but China's bold forays into cyberspace and espionage campaigns. On Sunday, Afghan authorities announced the installation of a new anti-missile system at Kabul airport to counter incoming Taliban rockets. The Taliban's gains in recent weeks have raised fears about the security of Kabul and its airport, especially since NATO must keep a vital exit route for foreign diplomats and aid workers available. Click here to read all of this week's headlines. MDAA ALERTS The Newest Addition We are honored to announce the Congressional Advisor to our Board of Directors, Mr. Jason Suslavich. Jason has over fifteen years working in Congress, most recently was the Director of National Security Policy and Senior Advisor to Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska. Click here to read more. MDAA WEBSITE UPDATES AND FEATURES Iran Iran’s continued and open refinement of ballistic missile technology poses a serious threat to the Middle East, Europe, and the United States and the country has become a major proliferator of weapons and technology to terrorist organizations. Iran’s ballistic missiles could be used as a political weapon against rival states... Learn more about Iran. Aegis Afloat Aegis Afloat is the sea-based component of the Missile Defense Agency’s Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). Aegis BMD builds upon the Aegis Weapon System, Standard Missile, and Navy and joint forces’ Command, Control... Learn more about Aegis Afloat. MDAA FELLOW SPEAKING EVENT Click here to register for the event. MISSILE DEFENDER OF THE WEEK Lieutenant Colonel William Hunter III LTC Hunter is the Deputy Chief of Staff for 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. He previously served as the Current Operations Chief for the 94th AAMDC, serving as the Command's senior representative to the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) 613th Air Operations Center (AOC) on a day-to-day basis. LTC Hunter serves as the Command's main briefer to the Area Air Defense Commander and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) Commander in exercises and in frequent real-world updates. He oversaw the execution of weekly Joint Theater Air and Missile Defense (JTAMD) working groups and boards to posture Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) forces from the Army, Air Force, and Navy for real-world contingencies, exercises, and in response to numerous real-world provocations by North Korea. During these provocations, LTC Hunter played a crucial role in helping the 94th AAMDC Commanding General provide immediate recommendations to the PACAF and USINDOPACOM Commanders on how to respond. LTC Hunter served as the chief of operations for bilateral exercise Keen Edge 20. He oversaw the current operations set up and execution of the exercise, combining AAMDC, Joint, and Allied inputs to ensure the 94th AAMDC leadership had the information required to make necessary decisions. LTC Hunter’s outstanding contributions during the first half of 2020 were critical to this Command’s success to deter North Korean aggression and grapple with the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. He oversaw the efforts of nearly 70 Officers, NCOs, and Soldiers as they conducted daily operations to track the status of air and missile defense units, sensors, interceptors, and communication links across the USINDOPACOM area of responsibility. Most vital to these efforts were 25-odd Soldiers from the 10th and 14th Missile Defense Battery Sensor Manager Cells, who stood watch 24-7 to ensure their AN/TPY-2 radars provided early warning of any missile attacks against U.S. forces and territory across the Pacific and in North America. LTC Hunter has served nearly 20 years as an Army Air Defender. LTC Hunter’s combat deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2004) and Operation New Dawn (2011) in Iraq. LTC Hunter’s civilian education includes two Bachelor degrees from Michigan State University and a Masters of Arts in Leadership and Management from Webster University.  Click here to view all the awardees from the 2020 Indo-Pacific Air & Missile Defender of the Year. NEWS MISSILE DEFENSE NEWS The Royal Navy Will Add 50 Percent More Surface-To-Air Missiles To Its Existing Destroyers-7/7/2021- The Drive Rep. Turner Warns US Missile Defense Slipping Behind Russia’s Capabilities-7/8/2021- Air Force Magazine Afghanistan Installs Anti-Missile System at Kabul Airport-7/12/2021- The Defense Post Turkish Army to deploy Hisar missiles to boost air defense- 7/12/2021- Daily Sabah THREAT NEWS Rockets fired at US embassy in Iraq after attacks on bases-7/8/2021- Digital Journal Iranian Ground Forces Receive New Weapons, Aircraft-7/9/2021- Caspian News OTHER NEWS US Military Urges Washington to Heed Warnings on China- 7/9/2021- VOA In Europe, Lapid tells NATO chief Israel wants to deepen ties- 7/12/2021- The Times of Israel Stay Connected: ‌ ‌ ‌ MDAA | 515 King Street, Suite 330, Alexandria, VA 22314 Unsubscribe [email protected] Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!