On May 29, Israel test-fired an undisclosed “experimental” rocket propulsion system. The rocket was launched from a military base in central Israel and its flight was captured in pictures and video on social media. Officials announced that the test was successful. Israel’s Defense Ministry did not provide any comments on the missile type or potential...
On May 28, North Korea test-fired at least one Scud-type, short-range ballistic missile. Photographs released by North Korea confirm the missile to be a KN-18, a single-stage, liquid fueled Scud variant. The missile was launched from near Wonsan Airfield in eastern North Korea, reached an altitude of 120 km, and flew approximately 450 km before landing...
Iran’s Fars News Agency reports that Tehran has constructed a third underground facility for the production of missiles. Fars quoted Amirali Hajizadeh, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ airspace division saying, “Iran’s third underground factory has been built by the Guards in recent years … We will continue to further develop our missile capabilities...
Russia has reportedly sent a contingent of Iskander-M (SS-26 Stone) ballistic missiles to Tajikistan for drills. It is the first time Russia has moved Iskanders to that location. Russia has around 7,000 troops permanently stationed in Tajikstan. The Iskander-M is a short-range ballistic missile with a range of around 500 kilometers. Russia has this missile...
On May 23, the modernized Tactical Missile System missile completed its sixth consecutive successful flight test. Otherwise known as TACMS, the weapon system is a series of short-range, road-mobile, solid-propellant fueled, surface-to-surface ballistic missiles built by the United States. The updated missile features new guidance electronics and also replaces the Block I and IA submunition...
On May 23, the USS Mason (DDG-87) was awarded the 2016 Battenberg Cup, which is presented annually to the best-all around ship or submarine in the United States Navy’s Atlantic Fleet based on crew achievements. While the ship was recognized for the entire deployment, the citation singled out a string of incidents in the vicinity...
The U.S. Army FY 2018 budget request has placed added emphasis on the need to expand and modernize its short-range air defenses and long-range precision fires capabilities, saying that this portfolio “contains the Army’s most urgent and pressing capability needs due to challenges not faced in almost 30 years. Given the possibility of conflict with...
A group of U.S. Senators recently introduced a new bill that aims to improve the capability and capacity of U.S. homeland missile defenses. The Advancing America’s Missile Defense Act of 2017 would authorize the emplacement of an additional 28 Ground-based interceptors (GBIs) at Ft. Greely, Alaska, and accelerate the development of several new interceptor systems,...
On May 21, North Korea carried out second successful flight test of its KN-15 medium-range solid-fuel missile. The missile was launched from the country of Pukchang, flying 500 km eastward, climbing to an altitude of 560 km before falling into the sea, a similar trajectory to its previous test on February 12, 2017. The test...
Multiple ruling party and government officials, including Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, have voiced support for the acquisition of the Aegis Ashore missile defense system. Anonymous officials cited the greater coverage area and lower cost of the system when asked why Aegis Ashore was preferred over a THAAD battery like the one currently being deployed to South Korea....
