On June 18, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration plans to withdraw U.S. missile defenses deployed in the Middle East. The withdrawal includes eight Patriot systems from countries including Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The United States also plans to withdraw a THAAD battery from Saudi Arabia. The United States previously...
On May 10, Hamas and its allies began launching rocket salvos against Israel after clashes over Israeli land seizures in East Jerusalem and wider Palestinian displacement. Militants in Gaza launched 3,000 rockets toward Israel, half of which were likely to fall in populated areas. Israeli authorities have claimed that its Iron Dome rocket defense system...
In April 2021, Sweden took delivery of its first Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors. The U.S. State Department approved the up to $3.2 billion PAC-3 sale to Sweden in February 2018. Related Links: Sweden To Receive First Delivery Of World’s Most Advanced Air Defense Missile, Lockheed MartinSweden locked in to buy...
On May 5, the U.S. Air Force aborted a planned LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch. According to Air Force Global Strike Command, “the missile computer detected a fault in the sequence of checks it does prior to launching. Upon detection of this fault, it shut itself down.” The failed test comes...
On April 28, France successfully test fired an M51 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). According to France’s Ministry of Defense, the unarmed flight validated the missile’s performance under operational conditions. France first tested the M51 missile in 2006 and inducted it to its nuclear force in 2010. In 2018, France completed mid-life upgrades to ballistic missile...
On April 26, Russia announced it had successfully test fired an anti-ballistic missile interceptor. The test took place at the Sary-Shagan test site in Kazakhstan. While Russia’s Ministry of Defense declined to name the missile, the weapon appeared to be a 53T6M, a replacement for the 53T6 “Gazelle” interceptors used in Moscow’s A-135 missile defense...
On March 24, North Korea test-launched two new short-range ballistic missiles. The state-run KCNA stated the missiles, which appear to be a variant of the KN-23, flew 600 km before striking a target in the Sea of Japan. Japanese and South Korean reports, however, say the missiles ranged about 430 km. Earlier on March 21,...
On April 5, the U.S. Air Force conducted a rocket booster test of its hypersonic AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW). According to a USAF release, “the test missile was not able to complete its launch sequence” and was not fired. The ARRW is a boost glide hypersonic weapon. The USAF has previously conducted seven...
On April 1, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration plans to remove at least three Patriot air defense batteries from the Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia. The removal is part of U.S. plans to recalibrate its global force posture and dedicate fewer resources to the Middle East. Patriot defenses have been pulled...
On March 31, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense announced plans to acquire Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors. The weapons are scheduled to be delivered between 2025-2026 and deployed in 2026. Reports on the potential purchase surfaced as early as December 2020. Related Links: Taiwan to buy new U.S. air defence...
