On October 13, the U.S. Army successfully flight tested the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), a short-range ballistic missile, to an undisclosed range of over 499 km. In a press statement, missile producer Lockheed Martin stated that the test demonstrated PrSM’s “longest flight to date.” The PrSM program entered its engineering and manufacturing development phase in...
On September 27, the U.S. Defense Department announced the successful flight test of its Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC), a scramjet-propelled hypersonic missile. In the test, conducted the week of September 19, the hydrocarbon-fueled missile successfully released from an aircraft before cruising to speeds over Mach 5. HAWC is a DARPA-U.S. Air Force technology demonstration...
On September 17, the U.S. Navy launched two unarmed Trident II D5 Life Extended (LE) submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) in a scheduled flight test in waters off Cape Canaveral, Florida. The missiles, launched from Ohio-class submarine USS Wyoming (SSBN-742), landed in the Atlantic Ocean within the U.S. Eastern Test Range instrumented complex. The launches mark...
On August 23, Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced successful flight tests of the Iron Dome missile defense system with the United States. The test took place at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and demonstrated the first of two Iron Dome batteries configured for U.S. Army service under the Interim Fire Protection Capability (IFPC)...
On August 11, the U.S. Air Force test-launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in southern California. The test, designated Glory Trip-239, was successful with a test reentry vehicle landing 6,700 km downrange near Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. USAF officials said the launch was “not a...
On July 24, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) attempted an intercept test against two short-range ballistic missile targets in waters northwest of Hawaii. During the test, USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 14) fired four SM-6 Dual II interceptors at the incoming ballistic missiles, intercepting one target. In a statement, the MDA noted it “[could not]...
In mid-July, the U.S. Army intercepted two cruise missile targets with the Patriot PAC-3 effector, using targeting information shared by its Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) battle network. During the test, two Army Sentinel radars, two Air Force F-35 fighters, and a Marine Corps G/ATOR radar sent tracking data through the...
On June 30, Switzerland selected to purchase the Patriot air defense system for its air defense modernization effort. To satisfy its BODLUV 2020 air defense requirement, Switzerland had previously evaluated the United States’ Patriot and the Eurosam-built SAMP/T surface-to-air systems. The U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of up to five Patriot batteries to...
On June 24, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of up to 12 AGM-84L-1 Harpoon Block II antiship missiles and 24 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II air-to-air missiles to the Philippines. The total cost of the Harpoon and Sidewinder missile sales are estimated to be $120 million and $42.4 million, respectively. Related Links: The Philippines...
What will it take for Russia and the United States to make progress on arms control? In announcing the Biden administration’s intent to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) for another five years, Secretary of State Anthony Blinkin offered a hint. He noted that the next negotiation must include all of Russian and American nuclear...
