On December 12, the U.S. Air Force flight tested a conventionally-armed INF-range ballistic missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. According to a Department of Defense statement, the missile flew over 500 km before landing in the Pacific Ocean and was launched to “inform the Department of Defense’s development of future intermediate-range capabilities.” Secretary...
On December 5, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency revealed the existence of a new counter-hypersonic weapons program, the Regional Glide Phase Weapon System (RGPWS). The program is intended to complement another defense effort designated the Hypersonic Defense Weapon System (HDWS), which began in September 2018 and refined five concepts in September 2019. The Missile Defense...
In a December 10 statement, Lockheed Martin said a prototype of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) was successfully test fired. The PrSM was fired from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher and reached a range of 240 km. An Army priority under its Long Range Precision Fires program, PrSM is planned to replace...
On December 7, North Korea announced it conducted a “very important test” of a missile rocket engine at Sohae Satellite Launching Station in the country’s northwestern region. While the nature of the test was not specified, experts have widely speculated it is intended for either an ICBM or space launch vehicle. Related Links: N. Korea...
On November 25, a U.S. Navy destroyer seized missile parts of likely Iranian origin from a boat in the Arabian Sea. In a December statement, the Pentagon said that U.S. forces seized a significant cache of “advanced missile components” bound for Yemen. According to officials familiar with the matter, the parts were intended for shipment...
On November 20, the U.S. Air Force retired its final Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM), a long-range cruise missile carried by the B-52 bomber. Developed in the 1970s, the CALCM first saw combat use during the Gulf War of 1991, and was employed in major combat operations including Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom....
From November 24-26, Russia’s Ministry of Defense displayed the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) to U.S. officials. According to a Russian Ministry of Defense statement, the visit was arranged “for the purpose of keeping the New START Treaty viable and effective;” the system is expected to go on combat alert in December 2019. The Avangard...
On November 22, U.S. officials stated that NATO warships successfully engaged live and simulated ballistic and cruise missile threats during Exercise Formidable Shield in May. During the exercise, ships shared targeting information through an alliance-wide datalink and shot down supersonic targets with Aster 15 and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM). Speaking to the American Society...
In a November 1 announcement, the U.S. Department of Defense authorized the production of additional Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missiles for sale to Japan. Under the estimated $267 million contract modification, the United States would produce 20 SM-3 Block IIAs for domestic service and 4 for Japan. Production is expected to conclude in December...
On October 29, the Missile Defense Agency announced that it had awarded four $20 million contracts to develop space-based sensors for tracking hypersonic and ballistic missiles. Conducted under the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) program, the contract calls for the companies to design a prototype sensor by October 31, 2020. Analysts view space-based...
