MISSILE DEFENSE MONDAYS August 31 - September 6, 2022 THE WEEK IN BRIEF On Thursday, September 1, it was reported that the United States is expected to supply Taiwan with new advanced weapons and technology to combat the surge in Chinese drone invasions of Taiwanese air space. The U.S. State Department is drawing up an arms package worth $1.1 billion for Taiwan under its foreign military sales program. With the recent appearance of Chinese drones close to Taiwanese islands, U.S. defense sources said it was reasonable to expect that counter-measure systems would be included in the arms shipment. Also on Thursday, September 1, Taiwan’s military for the first time shot down an unidentified civilian drone that entered its airspace near an islet off the Chinese coast on Thursday, after the government vowed to take tough measures to deal with an increase in such intrusions. Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own against the strong objections of the Taipei government, has held military exercises around the island since early last month in reaction to a visit to Taipei by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Taiwan’s government has said it will not provoke or escalate tensions but has been particularly angered recently by repeated cases of Chinese drones buzzing islands controlled by Taiwan close to China’s coast. On Friday, September 2, the U.S. Navy’s next-generation subsonic aerial target (SSAT), the BQM-177A, reached full operational capability during a successful standard missile launch and intercept while participating in Pacific Vanguard 2022 (PV 22) in the Philippine Sea, Aug. 28. The target drones were launched from the Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE 3) and engaged with missiles launched from Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) and Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate HMAS Perth (FFH 157), marking the first time the BQM-177A has been used in the Western Pacific region and highlighting the drones achieving full operational capability. On Monday, September 5, the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Israeli Air Defense Command and the U.S. Air and Missile Defense Task Force held a joint simulation training exercise focused on protecting Israel from ballistic threats. The drill took place in late July at the Israeli Test-Bed (ITB) battle lab, developed by Elisra (a subsidiary of Elbit Systems). The ITB can simulate both Israeli and American air-defense systems and can display and record real-time data to assist in debriefings. During the simulation training exercise, the Israeli forces operated the Arrow, David’s Sling and Iron Dome air-defense systems. The American forces operated the Patriot, Aegis and THAAD systems. On Tuesday, September 6, it was reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin attended large-scale military exercises involving Chinese forces and the militaries of several other Russia-friendly countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told local news agencies. The Vostok-2022 (East 2022) joint military exercises began on September 1 and are being held amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and at a time when both Moscow and Beijing face tensions with the United States. Putin was at the Sergeevski military range on Tuesday to meet with Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu and military chief of staff Valery Gerasimov and would observe the final phase of the military exercises, Peskov was quoted as saying. Also on Tuesday, September 6, it was reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense is in the process of purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for its ongoing war in Ukraine, according to a newly downgraded U.S. intelligence finding. A U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence determination, said Monday that the fact Russia is turning to the isolated state of North Korea demonstrates that “the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions.” U.S. intelligence officials believe that the Russians could look to purchase additional North Korean military equipment in the future. The intelligence finding was first reported by the New York Times. Click here to read all of this week's headlines. MDAA ALERTS Out of Norway Coming in Hot "The United States President, under the advice of the United States Military, and in direct response to Ukraine’s request for assistance in cruise missile defense for its Capital, Kiev, and the protection of its critical assets against overwhelming..." Click here to read more. Slaying Dragons "There is an elephant in the room, and there is a dragon in the room that we need to discuss and talk about. There’s a Chinese proverb that says, “If you ignore the dragon, it will eat you.” So, we see some of that unfold as we look at the..." Click here to read more. MDAA WEBSITE UPDATES AND FEATURES Ukrainian War Updates Track the number and type of missiles used in the Ukrainian war, the number of casualties, and daily news highlights. Track updates on the conflict in Ukraine. Global Proliferation Tracker Tracking the notable missile tests and developments from threats across the globe. Click here to read more about China. MISSILE DEFENDER OF THE WEEK Captain Jacob Switzer Capt Switzer is currently assigned as the Joint Operations Center Standards and Missile and Space Domain Deputy Chief Senior Evaluator at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) at Peterson Space Force Base (SFB), Colorado. Capt Switzer was born in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. He was commissioned via Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP) as a Construction Engineering Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force from the Royal Military College of Canada in 2016. He holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration from Royal Roads University (2022). Capt Switzer’s previous assignments include Air Force Officer Development at Barker College with 17 Wing in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Royal Canadian Air Force Fire Marshal, A4CE with the 1 Canadian Air Division in Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Missile and Space Domain Deputy Chief at NORAD at Peterson SFB, Colorado. Capt Switzer has attended the Construction Engineering Officer Courses, Real Property Management Basic Course, Real Property Management Advanced Course, Fire Safety Officer Course, Missile and Space Domain Initial Qualification Training Course, and the Basic Space Operations Course. Capt Switzer’s awards and decorations include the Joint Service Achievement Medal, for COVID Sequestration while part of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. Capt Switzer is married to Jordee Matson, and they have one dog, Stella. Capt Jake Switzer of the Royal Canadian Air Force is the Chief of NORAD USNORTHCOM Joint Operations Center (JOC) Standards and is also the Chief Evaluator for Missile and Space Domain Deputy (MSDD). As MSDD he assisted in rendering over 150 Integrated Threat Warning and Attack Assessments that were crucial in senior bi-national leader’s global awareness and decision-making. Capt Switzer’s efforts within the Missile and Space Domain were absolutely crucial in bringing Gen VanHerck’s vision of the JOC into reality and helped reach Full Operational Capability. Click here to view all the awardees from the 2022 NORAD & USNORTHCOM Missile Warning and Defender of the Year Award Ceremony. NEWS HEADLINES MISSILE DEFENSE NEWS Russian army repelled a missile attack during Vostok-2022 exercises - News Unrolled - 09/03/2022 Under cover of night and to ire of locals, Korea ramps up effort to “normalize” THAAD base - Hankyoreh - 09/05/2022 THREAT NEWS Russia’s Kh-59 cruise missile destroyed over Mykolaiv Region - Ukrinform - 09/04/2022 China Threatens Reaction After U.S. Announces Arms Sales to Taiwan - The New York Times - 09/04/2022 China-Russia Military Ties Boosted by Invasion of Ukraine - VOA News - 09/06/2022 OTHER NEWS US announces US$1.1 billion missiles, radar package for Taiwan - Taiwan News - 09/03/2022 Spanish, German companies start work on hypersonic missile interceptor - Defense News - 09/05/2022 US: Russia to buy rockets, artillery shells from North Korea - ABC News - 09/06/2022 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!