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...
The United States has long worked with its allies on missile defense cooperation. Yet as missile threats proliferate, cooperation is increasingly important.
On November 13, the U.S. Army announced it had activated two units to evaluate the Iron Dome system for an interim cruise missile defense capability. According to an Army statement, the new batteries will draw personnel from the Army Air Defense Artillery School and a converted Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to prepare...
On October 1, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency announced a test of the Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Consisting of two launch events on February 20 and October 1, the test (FTP-27) verified the interoperability of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) interceptor...
Offense-defense integration will not be a panacea, but it will be critical to a realistic and cost-effective way to contend with modern missile threats.
On June 26, U.S. defense contractor Raytheon received a finalized contract for seven AN/TPY-2 radars to Saudi Arabia. The $2.3 billion contract is part of a larger $15 billion foreign military sale of seven Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries and related support, equipment, and services that was approved in October 2017. Related Links:...
On September 26, the Pentagon announced the deployment of one Patriot battery, four Sentinel surveillance radars, and 200 support personnel to Saudi Arabia, following Iranian attacks on Saudi oil facilities last week. In a statement, the Department of Defense also announced it would maintain two Patriot batteries and one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)...
On August 30, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency conducted a successful intercept test of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system against an airborne target. Designated FTT-23, the flight test was the first to integrate a new remote launcher kit for the THAAD system. FTT-23 is the 16th successful intercept out of...
Tensions with Iran are once again increasing. The slow implosion of the nuclear accord, Iran’s harassment of cargo ships, and the downing of a U.S. unmanned aircraft have made plain the risk of conflict between Iran and the United States. The dispute should also draw attention to the questionable preparedness of the United States and...
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...
