MISSILE DEFENSE MONDAYS February 7th - 13th, 2023 THE WEEK IN BRIEF On Tuesday, February 7, it was stated by Japan's Ministry of Defense that the United States is not ready to deploy a variety of new missiles in Japan, contrary to a recent newspaper report. The U.S. is developing new missiles but it’s too early to consider where to deploy them, Japanese officials were told by their U.S. counterparts, according to a ministry statement. Also on Tuesday, a senior American military officer notified lawmakers in January that China has more land-based fixed and mobile intercontinental ballistic missile launchers than the US, according to a letter sent to Congress. The letter from Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of US Strategic Command which oversees the US nuclear arsenal says that as of October 2022 China’s inventory of land-based fixed and mobile ICBM launchers “exceeds the number of ICBM launchers in the United States.” The letter also says that China’s does not have more ICBMs or nuclear warheads than the US. On Wednesday, February 8, Moscow and Tehran decided that they are moving ahead with plans to build a new factory in Russia that could make at least 6,000 Iranian-designed drones for the war in Ukraine, the latest sign of deepening cooperation between the two nations, said officials from a country aligned with the U.S. As part of their emerging military alliance, the officials said, a high-level Iranian delegation flew to Russia in early January to visit the planned site for the factory and hammer out details to get the project up-and-running. The two countries are aiming to build a faster drone that could pose new challenges for Ukrainian air defenses, the officials said. On Thursday, February 9, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the Chinese spy balloon flew a route that took it past ballistic missile fields and a B-2 stealth bomber base. But he said the Pentagon took steps to protect “strategic assets” — the U.S. nuclear force — from the balloon’s surveillance. “All of our strategic assets — we were, made sure that we were buttoned down and movement was limited and communications were limited so that we didn’t expose any capability unnecessarily,” Austin told CBS News, speaking publicly for the first time since the U.S. shot the balloon down Saturday over the Atlantic. On Friday, February 10, the Pentagon had not released many details of the other balloons, but the one that was spotted over Montana on Feb. 1 was 200 feet tall and carried a payload of sensors and other equipment comparable to a small passenger jet. That balloon sparked a crisis after it lingered near sensitive U.S. nuclear missile sights before wafting over the middle of the continental U.S. and drifting out to sea off of South Carolina, where it was shot down by an Air Force F-22 stealth fighter jet. While the U.S. is still working to determine how and why previous balloons escaped detection, experts say it may partly have to do with difficulties picking up inflatable airships on existing radar. Click here to read all of this week's headlines. 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. Taiwan Incursion Updates Track the number and type of incursions in the Taiwan Strait, the number of missiles fired, aircraft crossing the ADIZ, and daily news highlights. Track updates on the tensions in the Taiwan Strait. MISSILE DEFENDER OF THE WEEK Captain Mitchell “Shift” Willis Capt Willis is the Chief of Training and an F-22 Instructor Pilot for the 525th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson Alaska. In this capacity, he is responsible for training new pilots arriving to Alaska in Mission Qualification Training and various other upgrade events. Capt Willis commissioned from the United States Air Force Academy in 2016 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After USAFA, Capt Willis earned his pilot wings from Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training in 2018 and was assigned F-22's at Eglin AFB. Captain Willis graduated from the F-22 Formal Training Course in 2019. He has been stationed at JBER since 2019 where he has served in various jobs including Chief of Training and Alert Forces Commander. Over the last three years as a member of the 525 Bulldogs, in support of the Alaska NORAD mission, Capt Willis has spent nearly 600 hours on immediate response alert, including flying five real-world scramble launches to intercept Russian Long Range aviation assets, securing the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone and ensuring the defense of the United States. Capt Willis also organized and hosted a Congressional Delegation of six United States Senators, briefing them on F-22 capabilities and modernization projects, and setting the stage for discussion of the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex infrastructure upgrade project. Finally, Capt Willis has rapidly accelerated through flying upgrades, and completed the instructor Pilot upgrade during his first Raptor assignment, a feat achieved by less than 15% of all F-22 pilots. He is a tremendous asset to the Bulldogs, Alaska, and the United States Air Force! Click here to view all the awardees from the 2022 Alaska Missile Defender of the Year Award Ceremony. NEWS HEADLINES MDAA IN THE NEWS US military not ready to deploy missiles to Japan, country’s defense ministry says - Stars and Stripes - 02/07/2023 Why U.S. Air Defenses Failed to Spot Chinese Spy Balloons - Time - 02/10/2023 MISSILE DEFENSE NEWS How the West Can Help Thwart Russia's Drone Assault - Newsweek - 02/08/2023 How the US Navy is creating the ‘nirvana of one combat system’ - Defense News - 02/08/2023 Canada Expediting Purchase of Air Defense Systems, Anti-Tank Weapons - The Defense Post - 02/09/2023 Air Defense Forces Destroy 61 Cruise Missiles Out Of 71 Over Ukraine - Ukrainian news - 02/10/2023 Germany to Give Slovakia Mantis Air Defense Systems - The Defense Post - 02/10/2023 THREAT NEWS Iranian Air Force reveals cruise missile for SU-24 fighters - news.am - 02/07/2023 Iran unveils underground base in response to US-Israel exercises - Al Jazeera - 02/07/2023 China Gears Up To Shoot Down US Drones - Defense One - 02/08/2023 North Korea displays enough ICBMs to overwhelm U.S. defense system against them - POLITICO - 02/09/2023 Iran smuggled drones into Russia using boats and state airline, sources reveal - The Guardian - 02/12/2023 OTHER NEWS US clears Poland to buy HIMARS, ATACMS, ammunition worth $10 billion - Defense News - 02/07/2023 Pentagon Plans Dynamic Drone Swarms to Penetrate Enemy Defenses - The Defense Post - 02/08/2023 Israel, India to expand defense ties at Aero India 2023 - Big News Network - 02/08/2023 Taiwan Test-Fires Cruise Missile That Can Reach Mainland China: Report - The Defense Post - 02/09/2023 NORAD gives notice of air defense exercise around Washington, DC, set for Tuesday - Fox News - 02/12/2023 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!