THIS WEEK IN MISSILE DEFENSE

November 2 - November 8, 2019

THE WEEK IN BRIEF

Click Here to Watch This Week in Missile Defense Video

On Sunday, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi – a spokesman for Iran’s armed forces – threatened a “crushing response” against U.S. aggression and allies who host U.S. troops. The comments came two days before Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran would inject uranium gas into over 1,000 centrifuges.

On Tuesday, the latest issue of Modern Ships magazine in China published pictures of a Chinese H6-N bomber carrying an air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) amid concerns from the United States over Beijing’s growing nuclear arsenal. China has made no secret of its pursuit for an ALBM capability.

On Wednesday, it was reported Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile will “certainly” be onboard the Russian Navy’s newest corvette set to enter service next month. According to Russian state media, the Zircon – while still under development – cannot be intercepted by any defense system currently in use.

On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he’s ready to buy American Patriot missiles if the terms are right, and he’ll discuss it with Donald Trump next week. Erdogan brought up the potential deal less than a week before he’s due to meet Trump at the White House on 13 November.

Also on Thursday, an Israeli newspaper reported that a Chinese news site said a missile fired from Israel’s David’s Sling air defense system to intercept rockets launched from Syria during internal clashes near the border was captured by Syria and transferred to Russian forces. The incident took place in June 2018.

Click here to read all of the headlines from the week.

MDAA ALERTS

A Gap That Has to be Closed

The United States has to confront the 360-degree drone, cruise, and ballistic missile threat Iran has recently demonstrated in the Middle East to provide the best defense of its forces stationed there and for the allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Iran demonstrated an effective use of a raid strategy with...

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15 Years of C2BMC That Has Made Our Nation a Safer Place

It is the 15th anniversary of the Command, Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) and which is the blueprint, the architecture that goes first before all the sensors and shooters that go forth and a system that is often mis-looked and misunderstood.

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MDAA WEBSITE UPDATES AND FEATURES

Command, Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC)

The Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) System is a software package used by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and combatant commands to s....

Learn more about the C2BMC.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a non-nuclear weapon state and signatory of the NPT. During the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980’s, Iran and Iraq used ballistic missiles for terror attacks against each other’s urban areas and attacks on non-combatant nations in the Persian Gulf increased.

Learn more about Saudi Arabia.

David's Sling (Israel)

David’s Sling Weapons System (DSWS), also known as Magic Wand, forms a crucial element of Israel’s multi-tier layered missile-defense architecture, replacing older U.S. Patriot and MIM-23 Hawk systems to provide mid-tier regional missile defense.

Learn more about David's Sling.

MISSILE DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Technical Sergeant

Christopher Kohler

TSgt Kohler is a Flight Chief for the 11th SWS at Buckley AFB, Colorado. As a certified Mission Crew Chief, he leads a flight of 36 personnel and is responsible for the first detection, assessment, and validation of worldwide missile launches to national leaders, the Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, and United States allied partners. TSgt Kohler directs command and control of the $32.6B SBIRS satellite constellation, 18 antennas, and six ground stations located around the world. In 2018, TSgt Kohler personally executed the processing, characterization, and reporting of over 200 missiles and 4,000 infrared events. Additionally, TSgt Kohler ensured the development and upgrade of the missile warning architecture, validating 37 testing objectives and developing tactics and techniques. His experience and mission acumen culminated when he garnered the rare and coveted “Q1E” Qualification-Excellence rating, representing the top 1% of space operators. TSgt Kohler has led 55 space operators through initial SBIRS Mission Qualification Training, with 42 graduates earning Q1 ratings and an average academic score of 96%. TSgt Kohler’s missile warning expertise drove the development of a first-of-its-kind space defense tactics for orbital threat engagement; leading to the completion of one of the U.S. STRATCOM Commander’s primary missile warning objectives. Additionally, TSgt Kohler oversaw the certification of the 460th Operations Group Standardized Space Trainer Simulator, validating 260 discrepancies and securing an additional $12.1M for simulator expansion and upgrades. TSgt Kohler enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2004 and completed Basic Military Training at Lackland AFB, Texas followed by Avionics Test Specialist Training at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. TSgt Kohler has deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and supported direct combat operations for Operation Odyssey Dawn. In 2013, he retrained into the Space Systems Operator career field and received his first assignment at the 2d SWS. He has operated the SBIRS Increment-1 System and was selected to become the first Mission Crew Chief for the next-generation SBIRS upgrade. TSgt Kohler is married to his wife Kathryn and they have two children, Olivia and Eric. TSgt Kohler donates his time to support the Air Force Sergeants Association, Buckley Chapter, and volunteering as a youth football coach to 12 young athletes.