117 items, Page 5 of 12
July 10, 2019
On July 9, Qatar announced in a joint statement its intent to purchase additional Patriot and National Advanced Surface-to-Air (NASAMS) missile systems from the United States. Qatar first purchased Patriot in 2012 and was approved for a $215 million NASAMS sale in 2018. Qatar’s Patriot PAC-3 and PAC-2 GEM-T missiles entered service in late 2018. ...
June 21, 2019
On June 20, the United States 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command engaged in an air defense exercise over the Black Sea alongside Romanian forces in Capu Midia, Romania. Known as Saber Guardian, the exercise integrated Patriot, Stinger, and Hawk missile systems from the United States to test allied interoperability and improve readiness to shoot...
June 6, 2019
In early June, the U.S. Air Force conducted air and missile defense drills alongside multiple allies at Aviano Air Base in Italy and other locations in Europe. Known as Astral Knight 2019, the exercise integrated airmen, soldiers, and sailors from the United States, Croatia, Italy, and Slovenia to train and test allied interoperability. Terminal High...
May 16, 2019
In a request for proposals issued May 14, the U.S. Army has solicited new prototype radars for its Patriot modernization effort. Initiated in 2017, the Lower Tier Air-and-Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) program will develop a sensor to replace the Army’s Patriot AN/MPQ-53 and -65 phased-array radar. After competing contractors demonstrate radar capabilities in May and...
May 6, 2019
On May 3, the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-3 air defense system to Bahrain. This would mark the first Patriot sale to Bahrain. The potential sale includes: 60 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles, 36 Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missiles (GEM-T) missiles with canisters, nine M903 launchers,...
February 19, 2019
From February 17-21, at the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) 2019 in Abu Dhabi, the United States completed three Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical Ballistic Missile (GEM-T) test launches with a gallium nitride (GaN) transmitter. The new solid-state GaN transmitter does not require additional cooling, unlike the conventional traveling-wave tube (TWT) design, and is able...
February 19, 2019
On February 13, Google released new maps, accidentally revealing the locations of once-secret missile bases and other defense infrastructure on Taiwan. Taiwanese Defense Minister Yen De-fa specified that the imagery showed the location of a Patriot missile base in Xindian district, as well as the National Security Bureau (NSB) and Military Intelligence Bureau (MIB). Minister...
January 17, 2019
The Trump administration has today released its long-awaited Missile Defense Review (MDR). Initiated pursuant to both congressional and presidential direction, the report represents an attempt to adapt U.S. missile defense policy, posture, and programs to the strategic environment of great power competition. The United States and its allies face a more complex and challenging aerial...
December 20, 2018
On December 18, the U.S. State Department approved a potential $3.5 billion sale of Patriot air defenses to Turkey. The deal would include 80 Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missiles (GEM) and 60 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles, as well as four AN/MPQ-65 radars and other related equipment. According to an unnamed State Department spokesperson,...
November 28, 2018
In missile defense circles, commentators frequently remark that that there are only so many islands or ships in the Pacific on which to put radars. Reading through recent missile defense budget requests, however, one is struck by the fact that the Pentagon seems to have doubled down on a strategy of building a chain of...