On January 17, 2017, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had conducted a successful test of its SS-27 ‘Topol-M’ ICBM. The Topol-M was fired from the Plesetsk launch site on Monday and reportedly hit its intended target on the Kamachatka peninsula “with high precision,” according to the Defense Ministry. The test was reportedly conducted to...
On January 9, 2017, LTG (ret.) Michael Flynn, the soon-to-be national security advisor to President-Elect Donald Trump, met with his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin to reaffirm their countries’ joint decision to deploy a THAAD missile defense system to the South Korean peninsula. The decision to deploy THAAD comes as a response to the growing...
Media reports indicate that Norway may begin contributing to NATO’s European missile defense system, despite its earlier opposition to the NATO effort when it was originally proposed in the early 2000s. While Norway has no plans to acquire missile defense interceptors, the country can integrate the sensors onboard five radar-equipped warships into NATO’s BMD architecture. Norway’s radars...
The Air Force is preparing for its January 19 launch of the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) GEO-3 satellite. The satellite will be part of a constellation used to provide missile warning by identifying the infrared heat signatures of missiles during launch. This information is used to alert U.S. missile defense systems. The GEO-3 will be carried...
The Navy destroyer U.S.S. Pinckney (DDG-91) conducted two flight tests of the Tomahawk Block IV missile. The first test used the Launch Platform Mission Planning system which allowed the Pinckney, located off the coast of southern California, to use targeting data provided by U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia. The second test used the...
According to a U.S. defense official, the Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX) system has left its port in Hawaii to monitor a potential North Korean ICBM test. The SBX can provide high-resolution radar imagery of the North Korean test, potentially providing a better understanding of the missile’s profile and capabilities. The SBX could also help U.S. Ground-based Interceptors...
The Department of Defense cleared the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) interceptor for international sale on January 10, 2017. The SM-6 is currently used by the U.S. Navy and has anti-ship, air defense, and terminal ballistic missile defense capabilities. The SM-6 is compatible with Aegis hardware and software, leveraging Aegis’ Baseline 9 system, which allows Aegis-equipped ships to perform both...
On Monday, January 9, 2017, Pakistan reportedly conducted its first test of its submarine-launched Babur-3 cruise missile from an undisclosed location in the Indian Ocean. The Babur-3 has a range of 450 km and, according to the Pakistani military, is “capable of delivering various types of payloads and will provide Pakistan with a Credible Second...
North Korea, in a series of escalating declarations, claimed on Sunday that it has the ability to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile “at any time” and from any location. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter responded by stating that North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities are a “serious threat” and that the U.S. is prepared...
Reports from January 6, 2017 indicate that the Israeli satellite EROS B recently captured photos of at least two Russian-made road-mobile SS-26 “Iskander” missile launchers located at the Syrian army’s airbase in Latakia. Although stationed at a Syrian military base, it is believed that the launchers are manned and operated by Russian forces, which are...
