Four Patriot Adanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Cost Reduction Initiative (CRI) missile interceptors and one PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) recently completed an operational test-firing at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Led by the U.S. Army, PAC-3 interceptors successfully detected, tracked, and defeated four tactical ballistic missile targets. These upgraded systems feature improved command and control...
On November 14, the State Department approved the potential sale of 60 AIM-120 C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) to Norway for an estimated cost of $170 million. According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency this sale “will improve Norway’s capabilities for mutual defense, regional security, force modernization, and U.S. and NATO interoperability.” These...
From November 6 through November 9, U.S. and German troops are practicing fires from short- and long-range air defense platforms at the NATO Missile Firing Installation on the Greek island of Crete as part of the German-led Artemis Strike 2017 exercise. In addition to two Patriot batteries from the Baumholder, Germany-based 5th battalion, 7th Air...
On November 8, Turkey signed a letter of intent with France and Italy in Brussels to strengthen cooperation on air and missile defense projects. The France-Italy EUROSAM consortium, which produces the SAMP-T missile defense system, are set to meet with Turkish representatives to discuss the common defensive needs of each country. Although Turkey has seemingly...
On October 18, the U.S. Navy announced an $18.2 million contract to modify Lot 6 AGM-88B High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM) into 25 AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM) for the Italian government. According to the Department of Defense, 90% of the upgrade work will be performed in California and 10% in Istrana, Italy. Used for...
On October 15, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced that ships from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States participated in a live-fire integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) scenario. During the exercise, the Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) tracked and defeated a medium-range ballistic...
On October 6, vessels from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom participating in the inaugural Formidable Shield 2017 (FS17) exercise tested the ships’ ballistic and cruise missile defense capabilities. Designed to improve NATO allied interoperability in an integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) environment, FS17 tested participants’...
On July 17, Japan and Germany signed a cooperation agreement for the joint development of new defense technologies. German media outlet Deutsche Welle reports that Germany wishes to integrate Japan’s AAM-4 air-to-air missile’s advanced seeker technology into MBDA’s air-to-air Meteor missile. The Meteor project is currently being led by the United Kingdom’s defense sector with,...
On July 14, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik announced Turkey had signed a “cooperation agreement” with the Eurosam Consortium to acquire and coproduce the SAMP/T Aster 30 surface-to-air missile (SAM) defense system. The two-stage deal would first let Turkey import SAMP/T systems to bolster the country’s integrated air defense system, and then share technology with...
On July 10, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of seven Patriot Configuration-3+ firing units worth up to $3.9 billion. In addition to the necessary technical equipment to operate the system (radars, control station, antenna, launching stations and electrical power plants), the State Department approved the purchase of 56 Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile-TBM...
