On July 23, the Israeli Air Defense Command fired the David’s Sling theater-range missile defense system against two Syrian SS-21 Scarab missiles estimated to be directed at Israel. The air defense system originally calculated the terminal trajectory of the Syrian missiles to be inside Israeli territory and deployed two Stunner hit-to-kill interceptors. Some time into...
On July 18, Spokesman for the Arab Coalition Col. Turki Al-Malki announced that Saudi air defense forces had “monitored a ballistic missile”. Most reports indicated the city of Najran as the target. No Houthi sources corroborate the missile launch or intercept. On July 19, Al-Malki announced that another ballistic missile targeting Jizan, Saudi Arabia, was...
On July 14, Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces (RSADF) intercepted a Houthi-launched Zelzal-2 short range artillery rocket fired towards the town of Najran, Saudi Arabia. Houthi reports indicate the missile targeted the Saudi Arabian National Guard base on the western side of the town. A statement from the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said debris...
On July 12, the U.S. Army successfully launched the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) and struck the USS Racine (LST-1191) Newport-class tank landing ship target during a live fire exercise. The test was the first live fire demonstration of the weapon and was executed as a part of the RIMPAC 2018 multi-national exercise. Norwegian weapons manufacturer...
On July 6, the U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force Commander tweeted images of a UGM-84 Harpoon sub-launched, antiship cruise missile being loaded onto the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Olympia (SSN-717). The Navy plans to use the sub-launched Harpoon in a live-fire during its RIMPAC 2018 multi-national exercise amidst discussions of returning it to service....
On July 10, Turkey’s Undersecretary for Defense Industries tweeted that the KHAN advanced long-range surface-to-surface missile system—sometimes referred to as the Bora—is set to begin acceptance trials. The KHAN is an artillery missile system armed with a 470 kg high explosive (HE) fragmentation warhead and is designed to engage enemy personnel, armored vehicles, and other...
On July 10, the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces intercepted a Houthi-fired Badr-1 short-range ballistic missile. Official Saudi statements reported the missile originated in the Saada Governate, Yemen, and targeted the city of al-Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia, where a major power and water desalination facility is located. Houthi reports indicate the missile instead was intended for...
On July 4, Houthi militants in Yemen released a video demonstrating a new underground missile launcher designed to conceal the battery from airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition. The launcher appears in the video to fold flush with the surrounding terrain and is raised above ground level for firing. Houthi media sources report the launcher fires...
On July 4, China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC) launched two Type-055 guided missile destroyers, joining the two Type-055s launched earlier this year. The Type-055 guided missile destroyers are the largest such ships belonging to an Asian country and may have a final displacement greater than the U.S. Ticonderoga-class destroyer. China’s Type-055 is armed with...
On July 3, 2018, officials in the Japanese Defense Ministry told Reuters that Japan plans to purchase a version of the Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) as part of its larger Aegis Ashore defense system project. An unnamed Defense official said the LRDR was selected over the SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar because of...
