On December 25, Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced it would begin mass production of the ASM-3A, an air-launched supersonic antiship missile. Japan began developing the ASM-3 in FY 2010 and completed a flight test in 2017. Following a review of defense requirements, Tokyo postponed acquisition of the ASM-3 in favor of an upgraded variant with...
On December 15, Russia tested an anti-satellite missile, according to a statement by the U.S. Space Command. According to the release, the weapon tested was a direct-ascent anti-satellite missile capable of destroying satellites in low Earth orbit. The statement separately announced that Russia had continued to develop a co-orbital anti-satellite weapon, which was tested in...
On Dec 15, Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced the completion of a major air and missile defense exercise, employing Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow weapons systems in a series of flight tests. In the exercise, the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), in cooperation with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), successfully intercepted a variety...
On December 11-12, Russia test fired a Tsirkon hypersonic missile and four Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) in a series of naval launches. On December 11, Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov (417) fired a Tsirkon hypersonic missile from the White Sea, striking a coastal target over 350 km away in Northern Russia’s Arkhangelsk region. On December...
On November 26, South Korea announced it had taken delivery of its first Cheongung-II medium-range air defense battery. This delivery marks the first of seven planned batteries. South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development began developing the Cheongung-II, also known as KM-SAM Block II, in 2012. The system can range up to 40 km with an...
On December 1, Russia announced it had deployed S-300V4 air defense systems to disputed islands claimed by Japan. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said the S-300s were positioned on the island of Iturup, part of what Russia calls the Southern Kuril Islands and what Japan calls the Northern Territories. Russia seized the island chain towards the...
On November 25, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced plans to begin producing the new Korean Tactical Surface to Surface Missile (KTSSM). Production will run between 2020-2025 to develop at least 200 missiles. The KTSSM is GPS-guided and can range around 120 km. It is expected to enter service around 2022. Related Links:...
On November 26, Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced it had conducted a successful test launch of its A-135 anti-ballistic missile (ABM) interceptor. The launch took place at Kazakhstan’s Sary Shagan test range. The A-135 system entered service in the 1990s to replace the Soviet-era A-35 anti-missile system, and is designed to intercept an ICBM strike...
On November 18, the U.S. Air Force received a final proposal for the Long-Range Standoff Weapon (LRSO) and is preparing to seek approval for the system’s engineering and manufacturing development. Scheduled for May 2021, about nine months earlier than expected, the pending authorization would officially create a program of record for the multibillion dollar nuclear...
On November 13 and 17, India conducted its first flight tests of an operationally-configured Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) in Chandipur on the country’s east coast. In a release, India’s Ministry of Defence stated that both missile tests successfully neutralized an aircraft-like unmanned target. The QRSAM is a medium-range air defense system comprising of a...
