MISSILE DEFENSE MONDAYS

December 7 - December 13, 2021

THE WEEK IN BRIEF

On Monday, The U.S. Missile Defense Agency finished installing radar arrays and wrapped up military construction for the Long-Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) at Clear Space Force Station, Alaska.

On Thursday, Russia deployed the Buk air defense system to the village of Maslovka, only a short distance from the border with Ukraine.

Also on Thursday, the Army awarded Purple Hearts to the 39 soldiers who were injured in January of 2020 when Iran struck their airbase in Iraq.

On Friday, in the latest version of the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congress scrapped its previous requirement for the U.S. Army to procure two additional batteries of the Iron Dome air defense system as an interim cruise missile defense capability, a move for which the Army has been pushing.

On Monday, Iran began preparation for a space launch as negotiations continue in Vienna over its tattered nuclear deal.

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

MDAA ALERTS

Action Now

"It’s all about action right now. It’s not delaying, not studies, not waiting for the next thing and the best thing. It is to get movement on ground and make the decision to defend Guam. Make the decision to defend it and then defend it with what you’ve got in place today...."

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No Other Country

“So I will put the American system up against any other. And I’ll do so with great pride and total confidence. No other country had the creativity to put such phenomenal computing power into our pockets. And no other nation has our astonishing universities, our ...”

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MDAA WEBSITE UPDATES AND FEATURES

Denmark

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization remains the bedrock of Denmark’s national security. It is also one of the two countries within the European Union that proposed a higher defense budget in 2010 than in 2009. In September 2011, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Arms Control...

Learn more about Denmark.

Boost Phase Missile Defense

Boost phase missile defense entails the destruction of an enemy missile during the earliest stages of its flight, while it remains within the Earth’s atmosphere. A viable boost phase defense has long been considered the “holy grail” of BMD, as boosting missiles are much slower and...

Learn more about Boost Phase Missile Defense.

MDAA IN THE NEWS

Time for Guam Missile Defense Build-Up is Now

"There’s no time to spare when it comes to getting the tools in place to defend Guam — a U.S. territory, home to 168,000 Americans, and a centerpiece of America’s defensive abilities in the Pacific..."

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"Pearl Harbor Incident Cannot Be Allowed to Happen Again" Senior US military officials urged to immediately strengthen Guam's defense capabilities against Chinese threats

"Some senior U.S. military officials..."

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Pentagon Allocates $11 Billion to Fund Military Infrastructure Projects on Guam Island

"Lieutenant General Stephen D. Sklenka, Deputy Commander of USPACOM (US Indo-Pacific Command), announced earlier this week that the Department of..."

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Calls Grow Urgent for Improving Guam's Missile Defenses

"The tiny U.S. territory of Guam would play an outsized role in a U.S. war in the Pacific—and that’s why the Pentagon must urgently improve the island’s missile defenses, current and former..."

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MISSILE DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Specialist Austin Smith

SPC Smith is a THAAD Battery Command Post Operator and Tactical Control Assistant with the E-3 Air Defense Artillery, 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. SPC Smith has directly contributed to the combat readiness of E-3 THAAD by passing Table IV certifications as a Battery Command Post Operator and Tactical Control Assistant with first time ‘GO’s with near perfect scores. He continually promotes crew readiness and trains new E-3 Soldiers as future Tactical Control Assistants (TCA). SPC Smith displayed exceptional self-development by cross training as a Radar Operator and Maintainer to increase his knowledge and expertise of the THAAD weapon system. SPC Smith has been instrumental in training over four new Tactical Control Officers (TCO) in the last year on the THAAD gunnery certification process. SPC Smith’s motivation and unparalleled performance in multiple typhoon readiness movements, Operation Orient Express, and Operation Iron Island has been invaluable and directly contributes to E-3 THAAD’s overall mission readiness. SPC Smith’s crew was awarded the Golden Coconut for achieving the greatest overall performance during the 2021 Table VIII evaluations, further distinguishing himself from his peers. SPC Smith is from Stokesdale, North Carolina. He graduated in the Top 20% from Northwest Guilford High School in June of 2018. He completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he earned the military occupational specialty of 14E Patriot Fire Control Enhanced Operator / Maintainer. He graduated the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) School in the Top 5% of his graduating class gaining the Additional Skill Identifier 7A THAAD Fire Control Communications/Radar Operator/Maintainer. SPC Smith’s awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service, and Army Service Ribbon. SPC Smith’s additional military education includes the Army Basic Space Course.

Click here to view all the awardees from the 2021 Guam Missile Defender of the Year Award Ceremony.