ADA TODAY
Links to Air and Missile Defense Articles From News Media Websites.

Wednesday
31 March 2010

Missile Defense Could Rebuild Confidence of European Citizens that NATO is Taking Care of Their Security
(ISRIA - Registration)
Building a missile defense shield to cover all European countries could rebuild people's confidence in NATO and show them that NATO was genuinely taking care of their security, rather than just engaging in operations at the other end of the world, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov said at the Brussels Forum today.

Valcourt Planning Retirement, Enjoys Final Salute at Sill
(Lawton Constitution)
Lieutenant General David P. Valcourt, who was commanding general of Fort Sill when the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission announced its recommendations on May 13, 2005, says he thinks the Air Defense Artillery is a good fit at Fort Sill.

Grad Finds West Point Challenging
(Lawton Constitution)
In the Army, leadership starts with discipline, hard work and sacrifice, a message Blake Rulison brought to students at his alma mater, MacArthur High School in Lawton, Oklahoma. On behalf of the US Military Academy at West Point, Rulison’s gave a presentation on expectation, application and requirements when applying to become a cadet at the most prestigious military university.

Tuesday
30 March 2010

AIR DEFENSE: We Will Repel You
(Strategy Page)
The Pentagon says it is prepared for a Chinese ballistic missile system, with anti-missile systems deployed in the Pacific (on land and at sea) to deal with such a weapon.

The Promise of Euro-Atlantic Missile Defense
(Project Syndicate)
We are not starting from scratch. NATO allies have been looking at various missile-defense options for some time. NATO itself is developing protections for our deployed troops. But with the new US approach to missile defense, there are now much better opportunities for an effective NATO-wide system that would enhance the territorial defense of our populations and nations.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry Plans Joint Air Defense Drills with Belarus, Russia (Power-Gen Worldwide)
The Ukrainian Defence Ministry plans to hold joint air defence exercises with Belarus and Russia in 2010, the ministry's spokesperson said.

STRATCOM Commander Keeps Focus on Deterrence
(Washington Post)
"We continue to strengthen and sharpen our focus on deterrence while at the same time preserving our freedom of action in space and cyberspace," Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, head of Strategic Command (Stratcom), said in last week's appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee. In 2002 came space operations, including global command and control (those communication and early-warning satellites in space) and missile defense.

US, Russia Hit Language Barrier in Pact
(Washington Times)
"But there is no limit or constraint on what the United States can do with its missile defense system." The difference in interpretation on missile defense could determine the fate of START when the administration sends the document to the Senate for ratification.

Monday
29 March 2010

Fort Hood Soldier Dies Of Gunshot Wound
(KWTX)
Private First Class Donnell C. Harris, 23, of Linden Mass., died Sunday in Killeen of a gunshot wound, Fort Hood said Monday. The circumstances of the death are under investigation. Harris was assigned to Fort Hood's Echo Battery, 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.

US Hopes Nuclear Arms Pact to be Ratified This Year
(Washington Post)
Ellen Tauscher, the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control, insisted the new treaty placed no limits on US missile defense systems, despite Russian suggestions last week that either side had the right to pull out of the offensive nuclear arms agreement if the other beefs up missile defenses.

North Korea Threatens US, South Over Demilitarized Zone
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
U.S. Pacific Command Chief Admiral Willard told the House Armed Services Committee last week that there are serious concerns that Pyongyang is a proliferator of weapons of mass destruction. He pointed to the missile tests the North carried out in 2009 as one basis for this fear, the Defense Department said in a press release.

An Illusory New START
(The Moscow Times)
Finally, although there will be a declarative statement in the treaty that defines a link between nuclear weapons and missile defense, there is nothing in the treaty that would limit the United States from developing a strategic missile defense system.

Obama Intervened Frequently in Arms
Control Talks
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
Negotiations revolved around several other points of contention: formulating new monitoring terms that Moscow could consider equitable, provisions for sharing missile test flight data, and whether to link nuclear reductions to limitations on a planned U.S. missile shield in Europe. Russia long refused to budge on its positions, wagering that Obama would offer concessions in order to close the deal before his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance ceremony in December 2009.

Navy Selects GD
to Support NAMDC
(UPI.com)
US defense company General Dynamics received the award as part of the Navy's SeaPort-enhanced contract vehicle to support the Navy Air and Missile Defense Command at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren in Virginia.

Israel Models Missile Defense Performance
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
The test incorporated defenses Israel could currently access: the Arrow 2 system, Aegis warships armed with Standard Missile 3 interceptors, a U.S. X-band radar fielded in the Negev Desert and the nation's Patriot air-defense batteries.

National Review: Short-Lived Restoration
(NPR)
The administration infuriated the democracies in Eastern Europe by backing down on missile defense and getting into a fracas with India in Copenhagen over global warming.

Kratos Successfully Launches Hypersonic Propulsion Research Payload; Rocket
(MarketWatch -
Press Release)
"This successful mission demonstrates Kratos direct participation, capabilities and support in a number of critical National Security areas, including next generation weapons research and development, weapons system support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and ballistic missile defense," ) said David Carter, President of Kratos' Defense Engineering Solutions Division.

High-Tech Gear Tested at Fort Bliss Deemed 'Unreliable'
(TMC Net)
High-tech combat gear tested at Fort Bliss is "immature, unreliable and not performing as required," a federal report says.

Sunday
28 March 2010

Future Multi-Layered Missile Defense System
(Defense Update)
The Air Force and Israel's defense industries have concluded a major simulative test of a future, multi-layered active air defense system to be deployed in Israel in the coming years.

Obama Brings Home Arms Treaty
(Korea Times)
The Obama White House stressed heavily that nothing in the proposed treaty limits the United States' right to develop, test and deploy a missile defense, including in Eastern Europe.

Europeans Woo US, Promising Relevance
(New York Times)
The NATO secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said he had his own cure for the trans-Atlantic marital blues — construction of a missile-defense system over Europe in cooperation with Russia.

U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Reduction: Update
(Examiner.com)
US negotiators claim that the agreement does not limit US missile-defense, but the Russians claim it has binding language limiting it.

Saturday
27 March 2010

A Worthy US-Russia Arms Control Treaty
(Washington Post)
Mr. Putin also hoped to use the accord -- dubbed New START, for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty -- to curtail U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense system in Europe.

NATO Chief Says Missile Defense Pact A Priority
(MyStateline.com)
Rasmussen also emphasized NATO should take every opportunity to cooperate with Russia and make Moscow realize that missile defense is an opportunity, not a threat.

Can Any Treaty Get 67 Votes?
(Firedoglake - Blog)
Basically, any toehold that Republicans can gain as a pretense to stop this thing – and it looks like missile defense will be that toehold – will be used.

NATO: Europe Must Upgrade Defenses
(The Associated Press)
The US has a missile defense system in North America, and it is planning one for NATO allies based on the Patriot Air Defense Missile.

State Department Briefing by Phillip J. Crowley
(eNews Park Forest)
There is a reference to missile defense, and it reflects the interrelationship between offensive and defensive systems. But this is a treaty regarding constraints on offensive strategic weapons and it does not constrain any plans that we currently have or envision for our missile defense.

NATO Chief Seeks Russia's Cooperation on Missile Defense
(Xinhua)
"We need a decision by NATO's next summit in November that missile defense for our populations and our territories is an alliance mission and that we will explore every opportunity to cooperate with Russia," he said, adding "one security roof, that we support together, and that we operate together. One security roof that protects us all."

Analysis: New Nuclear Arms Treaty is `New Start'
(The Associated Press)
The Russians view U.S. missile defense plans in Europe as a potential threat to the credibility of their strategic arsenal. The Obama administration — like the Bush administration before it — insists that the defensive weapons are too limited to worry Russia and are designed to counter missile threats from Iran.

Friday
26 March 2010

Distrust And Verify(Investor's Business Daily)
Missile defense makes a better case. History has a remarkable way of sometimes appearing to be written by a hidden hand.

No Hurrahs From Kremlin on Arms Pact
(New York Times)
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov called the agreement “real progress” in the relationship between Russia and the United States, but added that Russia could pull out if it concluded that the American missile defense plans had compromised its nuclear deterrent. Indeed, unease over missile defense was seeping into commentary even as officials hailed a mutual success.

Questions Abound as "New START" Agreement is Completed
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
At least one nuclear arms expert thinks reports that Moscow demanded limits on missile defense systems that Washington could not accept have been overplayed, given a long and volatile history of repositioning on the issue by both sides.

Obama Finalizes Arms Control Deal with Russia
(New York Times)
But while the pact recognizes the dispute between the two countries over American plans for missile defense based in Europe, it will not restrict the United States from building such a shield.

The Realist Prism: Obama Must Use Health Care Momentum Wisely
(World Politics Review)
The Russians dropped their demand for binding language in the treaty on missile defense, a concession to political realities in America.

NORTHCOM, NORAD, Guard Inextricably Linked
(Systems)
Colorado and Alaska National Guard units provide ballistic missile defense. The Guard also provides much of the ground-based air defense system for the national capital region; it contributed to forces standing by to support the recent Winter Olympics; and it conducts joint exercises and workshops with NORTHCOM.

Will Senate Republicans Support the New US-Russia Nuke Treaty?
(Foreign Policy)
If the most recent letter from Senate GOP leadership is any indication, not very likely. The letter written by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, and Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ), makes it clear that they don't view the compromise the administration reached on missile defense for the new treaty as acceptable.

Top Russian Lawmaker Predicts Republican Opposition to Arms Control Treaty
(CNSNews.com)
RIA Novosti said the Russian lawmaker predicted difficult dialogue ahead, citing Republican support for developing missile defense and new nuclear weapons, “as well as the Pentagon’s opposition to Obama’s nuclear doctrine.”

NATO Urges Missile Defense Pact, Cites Iran Threat
(Reuters)
NATO states should agree at a summit this year to make missile defense systems against states including Iran an alliance mission and look at every opportunity to cooperate on this with Russia, the head of NATO says.

Air Defense: S-300s
Crowd the Coast
(Strategy Page)
China now has eight battalions of S-300PMU2 anti-aircraft missile systems, with a range of 200 kilometers on the coast opposite Taiwan, and are positioned to fire. Taiwanese military leaders point out that they have the Patriot anti-aircraft missiles deployed along the island coast.

Missile Defense Agency Halts Work with Contractor
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
The US Missile Defense Agency has stopped working with Florida-based contractor Coleman Aerospace after lapses in quality-control led to a failed intercept test.

The New York Times and
Missile Defense
(Heritage.org - Blog)
Yesterday, The New York Times ran an editorial titled “Fixing Missile Defense.” Given the editors’ clear track record of opposing missile defense, they must mean “fix” it in the sense of neutering it.

Would Partners Of Gay Troops Get Benefits, Too?
(Washingtonpost.com/
Associated Press)
If gay service members are allowed to serve openly, the military will face another tough question: Should gay partners be entitled to military benefits?

Pentagon Restricts Evidence That Can Be Used Against Gays
(Washington Post)
The U.S. military moved a step closer Thursday to allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the armed forces, as the Pentagon announced that it will ease enforcement of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that has been in place for 17 years.

Thursday
25 March 2010

Fort Bliss Gets New Garrison Commander
(ABC/KVIA)
Colonel Joseph Simonelli Jr. replaces Colonel Edward Manning, who's been reassigned to Germany after serving as the Fort Bliss, Texas Garrison Commander for the past two years.

Military To Revise ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Rules
(New York Times)
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will announce measures on Thursday to make it more difficult for the military to expel openly gay service members, an interim plan while the Pentagon examines repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, officials said.

Missiles Must Balance Offense, Defense Needs
(The Huntsville Times)
Modern missile defense requires the US military to strike a balance between offensive and defensive capabilities to meet today's changing threat, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.  

Pentagon Prepares To Relax 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
(Washington Post)
The Pentagon is scheduled to announce Thursday that it will relax enforcement of the "don't ask, don't tell" rules that prevent gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military, a decision that officials described as a temporary measure until Congress can take permanent action.

Russia And U.S. Report Breakthrough On Arms Pact
(New York Times)
The United States and Russia have broken a logjam in arms control negotiations and expect to sign a treaty next month to slash their nuclear arsenals to the lowest levels in half a century, officials in both nations said Wednesday.

US Peeks into China's Nuclear Fortress
(Asia Times Online)
In addition, this report comes at a time when US conservatives are focused on implementing a grander missile defense scheme to counter what is unfolding in Iran, North Korea, and China.

General Dynamics Awarded $22 Million to Support New Navy Air and Missile Defense Command
(PR Newswire - Press Release)
NAMDC serves as the single warfare center of excellence to synchronize and integrate Navy efforts across the full spectrum of air and missile defense, including air defense, cruise missile defense and ballistic missile defense.

Exclusive: Nuclear Terrorism: 'The Arrows of Allah' (Part Three of Ten)
(Family Security Matters)
The Pentagon’s 2010 Ballistic Missile Defense Review also says that North Korea will be able to deploy a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States within the next decade and that missile threats from several states, including Iran, Syria, Russia and China are growing quantitatively and qualitatively.

Wednesday
24 March 2010

Top Military Brass To Hear Review Of 'Mentors' Program
(USA Today)
Defense Secretary Robert Gates' top deputy will brief the Joint Chiefs of Staff today on his recommendations to regulate the Pentagon's practice of hiring retired senior officers to advise the military, Gates' spokesman said.

Combat Troops Now Get Extra Time Off
(ArmyTimes.com)
Service members deployed for 270 days or more in Iraq or Afghanistan now qualify for 15 days of “administrative absence” on top of their regular annual leave, under a new nonchargeable rest and recuperation policy announced by the Pentagon on Monday.

Serving His Country, Testing His Faith
(Washington Post)
After the Fort Hood shootings, a Muslim American soldier battles on friendly ground.

Defense Acquisition Reform Panel Issues Final Recommendations
(GovExec.com)
The Congressional Defense Acquisition Reform Panel on Tuesday approved final recommendations for improving deficiencies in the military's procurement system.

Army Leaders Defend New Ground Vehicle Development
(National Journal's CongressDailyAM)
Army leaders on Tuesday defended their efforts to develop another ground combat vehicle, arguing that none of the vehicles in the service's inventory can take the place of the aging Bradley Fighting Vehicle that the service hopes to eventually retire.

Making A Difference
(NBC)
Some pets like Dozer do end up at the pound or simply just abandoned when their owners are deployed and they can’t find anyone to take care of them. That’s where Guardian Angels for Soldiers Pets, or GASP, comes in, a nationwide network of volunteers who take in service member’s pets while they’re in Iraq or Afghanistan.

MDA Halts Target Buys From L-3's Coleman Aerospace
(Aerospace Daily &
Defense Report)
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is halting its work with Coleman Aerospace, owned by L-3 Communications, due to quality control problems in preparing targets for the agency's flight test program, according to a missile defense program source.

Fixing Missile Defense
(New York Times – Editorial)
It is always encouraging to see a commitment to the Sisyphean task of getting the most out of America’s gargantuan defense budget and reining in costs on expensive, badly managed or poorly performing programs.

US and Russia Agree on Missile Defense Workaround for New
Nuke Treaty
(Foreign Policy – Editorial)
American and Russian negotiators have come to terms on how to handle the thorniest point of contention inside the negotiations over a new nuclear arms-reduction treaty: missile defense.

US, Russia Agree to Slash Nuclear Arsenals
(Los Angeles Times)
The two final obstacles were agreement on how to verify the size of the nuclear arsenals and the issue of missile defense. Neither government would explain how it solved those disagreements.

Once-Divisive US Missile Defense System Now Widely Accepted
(Stars and Stripes)
Few critics still ask if the U.S. should press forward with missile defense, said General James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a Washington conference of missile defense contractors this week. “Now we’re really in a mode that’s ‘How fast can you produce?’” he said.

Extra $1B Needed for
Air Defense System
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
Development of the Medium Extended Air Defense System is likely to require an extra $1 billion in funding, Reuters reported today. The price tag for preparation by the United States, Germany and Italy of the replacement for the Patriot system had previously been set at $19 billion. Technical matters and heightened mandates on the technology are behind the cost increase, according to Gregory Kee, who leads to NATO office in charge of the project.

Tuesday
23 March 2010

Fixing Missile Defense
(New York Times)
It is encouraging to witness a commitment to getting the most out of America’s gargantuan defense budget and reining in costs on expensive, badly managed or poorly performing programs. Now it is looking at the long-troubled missile defense program. Lieutenant General Patrick O'Reilly, the program's chief, told a conference on Monday that some contractors continue to produce poor quality components for missile interceptors.

MDA Director: Poor Contractor Performance
(Aviationweek.com)
Army Lieutenant General Patrick O’Reilly O’Reilly gave the example of Lockheed Martin’s full redesign of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System earlier this decade as emblematic of a renewed attention to design and production ability. In the case of THAAD, the program suffered repeated flight test failures and in production there were too many blind assembly steps requiring employees to literally assemble components without being able to see their work.

Officials Outline Missile Defense Goals
(GovExec.com)
The phased approach intends to provide an interim missile defense using the Aegis-equipped Navy warships and SM-3 missiles, then moving up to improved SM-3s and radars on the ground in eastern or southern Europe. That would be augmented by Patriot and Theater High Altitude Air Defense interceptors and possibly a two-stage version of the silo-based interceptors now used in the U.S. ground-based, mid-course national defense system.

Air Forces Rebuts Report on Negligence in Air Defense
(Focus Taiwan News Channel)
Air Force chief of staff Wong Hsuan-chou on Tuesday morning confirmed that a Russian TU-95 aircraft had briefly entered Taiwan's Air Force Identification Zone on Jan. 28 while flying south near northeastern Taiwan, but said the aircraft turned around and headed toward Japan after it received a message from Taiwan aviation authorities.

Air Force Criticized for Not Reacting to Russian Plane (Roundup)
(Monsters and Critics.com)
The air force admitted Tuesday that a Russian military plane had entered Taiwan's airspace, prompting angry criticism from lawmakers for its failure to intercept.

Military Offers 'Closure' In Brain Deaths
(USA Today)
Family members of combat troops declared brain-dead will have an opportunity for a final reunion with their loved ones before life support is removed, according to new guidelines provided to battlefield doctors.

Humvee Moves Over For Hulking, Tough MRAP
(USA Today)
Within weeks, the Army will buy its last Humvee -- its workhorse truck since the 1980s but a "death trap" in modern warfare -- and drive soldiers to war in vehicles with better armor.

Making a Difference: Packaged Bedtime Stories via DVD
(NBC)
If you’ve raised little ones, then you know there’s no substitute for reading a book before they drift off for the night. But there is something that comes close for those parents who can’t be close to their children because they’re serving their country overseas.

Company Funds Withheld Due To Poor Work On Missile Interceptors
(Bloomberg.com)
The head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said he is withholding money from contractors who produce poor quality components for missile interceptors.

Officials Lay Out Missile Defense Goals
(National Journal's CongressDailyPM)
Top Defense officials today reaffirmed the Obama administration's commitment to an "effective ballistic missile defense" capability and rejected any idea of abolishing the Missile Defense Agency and transferring its functions to the different armed services.

Lockheed Sees Opportunities In Missile Defense
(Reuters.com)
Lockheed Martin Corp on Monday said it was going after several follow-on contracts in its missile defense programs, and expressed optimism about its bid to unseat Boeing Co from running the core U.S. missile defense system.

Danger Room Mythbuster: Nazi Rocket Barge, Sunk
(Wired News)
In a speech yesterday on missile defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn talked about a “new and more complex era of hybrid threats” in which potential U.S. adversaries might combine high-tech and low-tech tools to mount a surprise attack. And to make his point, he drew on a history lesson: German plans during World War II to develop a longer-range version of the A4 ballistic missile, better known as the V-2 rocket.

Russia Opposes US Missile Defense Plan
(UPI.com)
US missile defense plans for Europe are a sticking point in finalizing a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

Missile Defense Vital for the US and its Allies
(DoD Live - Blog)
Yesterday at the Ronald Reagan building in Washington D.C., the 8th Annual U.S. Missile Defense Conference began. The overall objective of the conference is to maintain the legacy of providing a world class, secure environment for all members of the U.S. Missile Defense Team to meet and discuss key issues facing the development, testing, and deployment of missile defense systems in support of national strategic objectives.

Missile Defense Is What Really Matters
(Heritage.org - Blog)
This is an issue that really matters: The continued development and deployment of missile defenses arguably means more to U.S. security than a new nuclear weapons deal with Russia.

India to Field Ballistic Missile Defenses in 2012
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
In2012 India expects to begin deploying its new ballistic missile defense system, the Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday. India's Prithvi Air Defense Missile would intercept targets at an altitude of more than 30 miles and the country's Advanced Air Defense missile interceptors would counter enemy missiles traveling close to 19 miles above the ground.

Cold War Finale Made Missile Defense Possible
(DoD)
The end of the Cold War made effective missile defense possible, Ashton Carter, the undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. The need for missile defense was illustrated during the Gulf War, when Iraq launched SCUD missiles at allied forces massing in Saudi Arabia and at Israel. US Patriot missile batteries countered the threat with some success, and US aircraft launched SCUD hunts in the western Iraqi desert.

Threat in Asia is Anti-Ship Missiles
(Washington Times)
The Obama administration's regional missile-defense strategy is designed to counter emerging threats like China's new anti-ship ballistic missile and other so-called anti-access weapons, a senior defense official said Monday.

Monday
22 March 2010

Lockheed Sees Opportunities in Missile Defense
(Reuters)
Lockheed Martin Corp on Monday said it was going after several follow-on contracts in its missile defense programs, and expressed optimism about its bid to unseat Boeing Co from running the core U.S. missile defense system.

US Raps Quality on Missile Defense Programs
(Interactive Investor)
Top Pentagon officials on Monday rapped the defense industry for inadequate quality control on missile defense programs and said they planned to use more fixed-price contracts as part of an overall drive to better manage the Missile Defense Agency's annual budget.

Russian Diplomat Sees US Arms Pact in Days
(Reuters)
But Makarov suggested negotiators had not yet agreed on how the pact will address missile defense, a cause of deep distrust between Russia and the United States.

MDA Chief Threatens To Withhold Funds(DefenseNews.com - Subscription)The chief of the US Missile Defense Agency slammed defense companies March 22, insisting on more quality and reliability.

Missile Defense Review Confirms Capability's Necessity
(DoD)
“Fifty years of concerted investment by our scientific and military establishment was capped in this past decade by stunning technological progress in both sensor and systems integration. The result is a series of systems that provide demonstrable protection against a range of missile defense threats,” said Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III.

Riyadh Mulls Big Russian Missile Buy
(UPI.com)
Riyadh has reportedly been mulling the purchase of S-300PMU Russian air-defense missile systems and other arms worth as much as $4 billion, possibly as an inducement to Moscow not to supply such advanced weapons to Iran.

US Eyes Fixed Price Terms for Missile Defense
(Reuters)
The Pentagon plans to begin using fixed-price contracts for its missile defense programs, although probably not for the development of new systems, top Defense Department officials told the defense industry on Monday.

Sunday
21 March2010

Saturday
20 March 2010

Friday
19 March 2010

Thursday
18 March 2010

Calhoun Selected for Military Post
(Famuan)
Colonel Michael A. Calhoun, a 1976 graduate from the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Florida A&M, and a longtime (since 1977) Guardsman with the 1^st Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery and current Commander of the 211th Regiment, Regional Training Institute-Florida, has been selected to command the 50th Area Support Group of the Florida Army National Guard.

Clinton 2-Day Moscow Visit to Include Mideast Talks
(Voice of America)
The head of the New Eurasia Foundation research group in Moscow, Andrei Kortunov, explains. "There are issues related to verification, for example, maybe there are disagreements over specific numbers, and definitely, there is a logic which is related to American ABM [missile defense] systems," he said. Those systems are part of an American plan to build a long-range missile defense system in Europe. 

Clinton to Push Nuclear Pact, Mideast Peace in Moscow
(BusinessWeek)
The U.S. and Russian presidents agreed to a blueprint for a new treaty that would reduce nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles. Further details of the protocol have been under negotiation since last April, with disagreements over how much verification should take place and over the placement of U.S. air-defense systems in Europe.

Russia to Deliver Air Defense System to Algeria
(Xinhua)
Russia ironed out a contract with Algeria Thursday on the delivery of the cutting-edge Pantsir-S Air Defense System.

Japan and US Hold Meetings on Defense Issues
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
A top U.S. Defense Department official said yesterday that Japan and the United States have begun official talks on nuclear deterrence, missile defense and other security matters, Kyodo News reported.

20-Page Treaty Translates Into a Major Headache
(The Moscow Times)
Just this week, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that the follow-on to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty would be signed in a matter of weeks. But on the same day that he spoke, State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov warned that lawmakers would not ratify the treaty, "if it does not take into account the link between strategic offensive weapons and missile defense."

Israel Attack on Iran Could Ignite Middle East: Hezbollah
(Washington Post/Reuters)
Israeli officials say Hezbollah, and to a lesser degree the Palestinian group Hamas, would launch cross-border rocket salvoes on Iran's behalf should it come under attack and this scenario was featured in an Israeli-U.S. air defense exercise last year.

Army Contracts for Patriot Missile Support
(UPI.com)
The U.S. Army modified its contract with Raytheon for the company to continue providing the Patriot Missile Field Surveillance program with missile support.

Between Tehran and Riyadh
(The Moscow Times)
Moscow and Riyadh have reportedly been negotiating for several years now about the Saudi purchase of Russian air-defense missile systems, but so far this has not yet occurred.

US-Japan Relations
Remain Strong
(Department of Defense)
Existing U.S.-Japanese agreements call for more joint training between the two militaries on Okinawa and Guam, and for co-location of air and missile defense commands at Yokota Air Base and the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Central Readiness Force with a transformed U.S. Army command and control structure.

The New Cuban
Missile Crisis
(The Moscow Times)
While history will remember the 20th century for the nuclear arms race, the 21st century might be remembered for the missile defense arms race. About 20 countries now possess missile defense systems, but more than 40 states are expected to have them by midcentury.

Raytheon Claims Patriot Support Contact
(GovConWire)
Raytheon Company was awarded $11.9 million to provide material and technical services in support of the Patriot Missile Field Surveillance program. This contract is a modification to a three-year contract awarded to Raytheon in January 2008 for the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System. Under the contract modification, Raytheon will continue to support the manufacture, assembly and testing of Patriot missiles through 2010.

Boeing Proposes Missile With Global Reach
(AOL News)
For nearly a decade, the Pentagon has grappled with finding a way to field a weapon with the speed and range of an intercontinental ballistic missile, but without the political ramifications of launching a nuke. Now Boeing says it has the answer: a revived 1980s-era hypersonic missile that could strike anywhere in the world in less than an hour.

A High-Tech, Low-Result Border Fence
(Los Angeles Times)
It turns out the smart fence was kind of a dumb idea after all. The virtual border wall, a network of sensors, cameras and radar meant to help the Border Patrol nab illegal crossers, has never worked as planned, and according to the Government Accountability Office, even the tests designed to evaluate it are badly flawed. And so went our optimism about the power of technology solving the problem of Iran's nuclear ambitions by building a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe.

Wednesday
17 March 2010

Russia's Diplomatic Obstructionism
(Newsweek -Blog)
U.S. officials negotiating with Moscow must often feel like the Kremlin's favorite word is nyet. Whether its sanctions on Iran, missile defense, or arms control, Moscow seems to oppose every issue the US raises.

Q+A: "Crisis" in US Relations with Israel
(Reuters)
Behind discussions of talks with the Palestinians, Israel, which relies on its U.S. ally for military hardware, missile defense and other defense assistance as well as private economic support from American donors, has been working with Washington in joint efforts to curb a nuclear program which, despite Tehran's denials, both believe is aimed at building a nuclear arsenal that could be aimed at Israel.

 Raytheon Missile Systems Establishes Air & Missile Defense Systems Product Line
(PR Newswire -
Press Release)
Already a world leader in missile defense, the company's new Air and Missile Defense Systems product line will create even greater alignment with its Missile Defense Agency customer.

Russian-US Arms Control Talks Seen Moving Forward
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
Russia has sought to connect nuclear arsenal reductions under the pact to limitations on a planned U.S. missile shield in Europe. "There will be a legally binding link with missile defense, so no problems will arise," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

 North Korea Has 1, 000 Missiles, South Says
(New York Times/Reuters)
North Korea has increased its missile arsenal by 25 percent in the past two years to about 1,000, expanding the threat the state poses to the region, the South's defense chief said Wednesday.

Tucson's Raytheon Sets Up New Missile-Defense Product Line
(Arizona Daily Star)
Aiming to put a finer focus on its missile-defense business, Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems has established a new product line with existing production and developmental weapon systems.

News Article General Calls Exercises Key to South Korean Defense
(Department of Defense)
General William “Skip” Sharp, Commander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea, called the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises an important step toward preparing South Korea’s military to assume wartime operational control of its forces in 2012.

Clinton Sees Progress in Arms Reduction Treaty
(The Associated Press)
U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton says Washington and Moscow are making "substantial progress" in negotiating a replacement pact to an expired strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty.

Tuesday
16 March 2010

The China Dream (FrontPage Magazine)
The Taiwan package is defensive in nature, consisting mainly of utility helicopters, air defense missiles, and mine clearing ships.

The Commentators
March to War
(Foreign Policy)
Hezbollah has stockpiled an estimated 40,000 rockets, some with the range to hit Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and possesses skilled military units and even air defense systems.

Iran's Link to China
Includes Nukes, Missiles
(Washington Times)
The U.S., Israel and others have objected to Russian S-300 deliveries on the grounds that the missiles will significantly improve Iran's surface-to-air missile network and reduce the chances — if deemed necessary at some point — of successful air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Israel and the Crisis
With Obama
(Wall Street Journal)
As time passes, Israel's military option grows more difficult and the chances for success shrink as Iran seeks new air-defense systems and further buries and hardens nuclear facilities.

Chiarelli Concerned About Ability to Modernize
(ArmyTimes.com)
“I’m worried about our ability to modernize the force,” General Peter Chiarelli told members of the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee Tuesday. He said he’s worried the Army’s current acquisition process may not be able to take advantage of emerging technology the way the IT industry does.

Nuclear Negotiators Make Progress Toward Arms Cuts, US Says
(BusinessWeek)
One of the main sticking points has been Russia’s insistence that the treaty address U.S. plans for a missile- defense system in Europe to guard against potential strikes from Iran, a program that officials in Moscow have opposed as a threat to Russian security.

The Homestretch for START
(The Moscow Times)
U.S. missile defense development is always slower and more costly than expected. In the meantime, the two sides can and should realize their goal of engaging in joint threat assessments, beginning operation of an early warning center and exploring the use of Russian early warning radars in a joint missile defense system.

New START Deal Near Completion, Clinton Says
(Global Security Newswire)
 One leading lawmaker in Moscow said today that failure to connect missile defense with nuclear weapons reductions could doom the new treaty's chances for ratification in Moscow, Xinhua reported.

Iran's Nuclear Bomb Effort has Slowed: US General
(Reuters)
To counter that threat, the United States has expanded land- and sea-based missile defense systems in and around the Gulf. Petraeus said this "regional security architecture" included a network of shared early warning systems and ballistic missile defenses.

Petraeus Throws Support to Mitchell Peace Efforts
(Politico)
“I keep a very close eye on what goes on” on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, though it’s not officially part of Centcom’s area of responsibility because of its impact on that part of Centcom that is the Arab world.” Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday.

Russian State Duma
Might Block New START Treaty: Speaker
(People's Daily Online)
Russia's State Duma, or lower house of parliament, might block a new strategic arms treaty (START) with the United States, if it is not linked with missile defense, the Duma's speaker said Tuesday.

AIR DEFENSE: Zombie Missiles Infest The Pentagon
(Strategy Page)
The US Army wants out of an international effort to develop Medium-Extended Air Defense System (MEADS). But the Department of Defense refuses to allow that, because cancellation penalties would cost more, it is currently believed, than it would to complete the project.

Guardsmen Hailed As Best Among Their Peers
(Systems)
Captain Amber Monette was named Company-Grade Officer of the Year. Monette, of East Grand Forks, Minn., recently returned from a year-long deployment to Afghanistan where she served as the Commander of the 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment's RAID III (Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment) mission.

Gates in Saudi Arabia for Talks Focused on Iran
(Voice of America/NTI)
Gates also is expected to discuss US efforts to help Saudi Arabia bolster its air and missile defense programs.

Surging Global Weapons Transfers Raise Concerns
(The Associated Press)
Surging global weapons transfers are raising concerns about arms races in tension-fraught areas of the globe, a leading peace research group warned Monday. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Arms Transfers Database includes major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, sensors, missiles, ships and air defense systems.

The Deadly Current Toward Nuclear Arms
(Boston Globe)
Obama is threading a needle, having to meet Russian requirements (for example, on missile defense) while anticipating Republican objections in the US Senate (for example, on missile defense).

US and Russia Move Closer to Arms Control Deal
(New York Times)
While most of the substance has been settled for months, the two sides have struggled at times over verification and missile defense.

Monday
15 March 2010

Hollywood Fact Check: How Realistic Is Iraq War Film Green Zone?
(Popular Mechanics)
As for the Defense Department, its pre-invasion military intelligence was well-focused on air defense systems, at that time aiming at U.S. warplanes patrolling the no-fly zone.

NATO Head Urges Creation of Missile Shield
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
"We must develop an effective missile defense," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during a conference in Warsaw."In the coming years we will probably face many more countries and possibly even some nonstate actors armed with long-range missiles and nuclear capabilities."

Financial Crisis Hasn't Stop Countries from Investing in Arms(newjerseynewsroom.com) The global financial crisis has not deterred some of the worlds developed and developing nations from bolstering their military arsenals with expensive new weapons systems, including sophisticated fighter planes, combat helicopters, submarines, armoured vehicles and air defense systems.

Fort Hood Hosts Army's Fourth Master Resilience Training Course
(Blackanthem.com)
More than 60 Soldiers will be among the Army's first few hundred master resilience trainers when they graduate Wednesday from a session of the Army's new Master Resilience Training program held at Fort Hood, Texas. Sergeant First Class Reynaldo Contreras of Fort Hood's E Battery, 1st Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, said he had been apprehensive about attending the course.

No MEADS Decision From US Army-MDA Meeting
(DefenseNews.com - Subscription)
MEADS is one of several programs being looked at in an air-and-missile-defense portfolio review being led by General Peter Chiarelli, U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff. The high-level reviews are comparing capabilities and costs within and across portfolios.

Police: Soldier Tried to Escape from Jail
(Albany Times Union)
A 25-year-old soldier (formerly with the 31^st Air Defense Artillery Brigade) faces charges of aggravated DWI and criminal mischief.

Carter Certifies Army Integrated Air And Missile Defense For Milestone B
(InsideDefense - Subscription)
The Army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense program has been certified as meeting Title 10 requirements for the program to reach milestone B approval.

 Indian Missile Defense Test Unsuccessful
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
Testing of the new Advanced Air Defense interceptor is an ongoing effort to establish an Indian ballistic missile shield program. The cause of the malfunction in the new Advanced Air Defense interceptor has not been determined, though an initial assessment indicated that the target missile went off-course, preventing correct alignment by the interceptor.

Leading Conservative Senator: Congress Has a Right, and Duty, to Earmark
 (CNSNews.com)
Senator Jim Inhofe (R.-Okla.), has strongly suggested that Congress ought to be able to override the President’s unilateral decision to canceling U.S. programs that could have protected the U.S. from an intercontinental ballistic missile attack.  Citing that our intelligence says that Iran will have an ICBMs capable of reaching the Eastern United States by 2015 and that the cancellation of these negotiations would leave us naked and vulnerable for a period of about five to ten years.

Major General Howard Bromberg Successfully Steered Fort Bliss During Influx
(Las Cruces Sun-News)
In May 2008, four months after taking command of Fort Bliss, Major General Howard Bromberg likened his job to "building an airplane while you're flying." Bromberg, scheduled to leave Fort Bliss later this year after two-and-a-half years in command, has been shepherding the Army's largest construction project in recent history. But supervising that $5 billion project was only part of his job.

Fort Bliss Soldiers: 200 Air Defense, Combat Troops Back from Deployment
(Las Cruces Sun-News)
More than 200 hundred Fort Bliss soldiers returned home Sunday after deployment in the Middle East. Members of the 1^st Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment and the Fourth Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division landed at Biggs Army Airfield about 5:30 p.m. in two planes. The air defense soldiers returned from Kuwait and the combat team from southern Iraq.

Thursday
11 March 2010

The Past Teaches ADA Students
(Fort Sill Cannoneer)
Students in Fort Sill’s Air Defense Artillery Captains’ Career Course took a staff ride to the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site Friday near Cheyenne, Okla., as part of their academic curriculum. To prepare for the visit, they analyzed the battle and Custer’s strategy and rationale, studied U.S. policies on the resettlement of Native Americans in the 1860s, as well as the history of some tribes in what would become Oklahoma.

500 Fort Bliss Soldiers Returning from
Southwest Asia
(Examiner.com)
Approximately 500 Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery, 11th Air Defense Artillery “Imperial” Brigade, will return to Fort Bliss, Texas, (13 & 14 March 2010) from a. U.S. Central Command deployment to Southwest Asia in March 2009.

NORTHCOM and NORAD, 'Inextricably Linked,' Commander Says
(Department of Defense)
U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) are inextricably linked and share an indispensible partnership. NORTHCOM’s mission is to protect the United States against any threats by air, land or sea with responsibility for Canada, Mexico, the surrounding territories, and 500 miles out at sea, while NORAD is a bi-national U.S.-Canadian command charged with aerospace warning and control and maritime warning for North America.

Conservatives Seeking to Deep-Six Nomination of Missile-Defense Critic
(Foreign Policy)
President Obama's nomination of a key White House science advisor is facing strong and mounting opposition from GOP senators, with help from leading conservative Washington think tanks, due to his views on missile defense.

Obama Extends US Sanctions on Iran
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
Gates discussed upgrading Saudi Arabia's "air and missile defense capabilities" as part of a wider campaign to arm Middle Eastern nations against Iran's expanding missile arsenal.

The US-Israel Enduring Partnership
(Jerusalem Post/Excerpts of US Vice President Joe Biden's TAU address)
We lead the fight in international institutions against the insidious campaign to challenge Israel’s legitimacy and question its right to self-defense. Since our administration came into office, our militaries have expanded cooperation – not maintained, expanded – cooperation on joint exercises and missile defense. Last fall, more than 1000 American troops participated in Juniper Cobra a ballistic missile defense exercises, the largest such drill to date.

The Nightmare No One In America Sees Coming
(FOXNews)
Second, President Obama should reverse his decision to cut back the missile defense program. If we can't prevent nuclear proliferation we must take steps to defend ourselves from attack.

Raytheon Receives $152 Million Contract from US Army
(Trading Markets - Press Release)
Raytheon Company has received a $152.4 million contract modification to provide engineering services for the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System from the US Army Aviation and Missile Command.

Iran Warns Neighbors Over US Presence in the Gulf
(Reuters)
The United States said in January it had expanded missile defense systems in and around the Gulf -- a waterway crucial for global oil supplies -- to counter what it sees as Iran's growing missile threat.

Wednesday
10 March 2010

Gates, in Riyadh, Seeks Saudi Help on Iran Sanctions
(Reuters)
Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah for support lobbying for U.N. sanctions against Iran on Wednesday and discussed ways to boost the kingdom's air and missile defenses.

The Travails of Joint Radios
(Nextgov)
The Joint Tactical Radio System, in development since 1999 when I only had a few gray hairs, failed another series of tests last year at Fort Bliss, Texas.

On Missile Defense, Obama Strikes a Strange Balance
(National Review
Online - blog)
President Obama has made disarmament the centerpiece of his foreign policy. He has done this while simultaneously trying to argue that he supports robust missile defenses. As the administration struggles to conclude a new arms-control agreement with the Russians, he is finding that striking a balance between these two positions can be very difficult.

The Secret History Part II: The C-802 Cruise Missile: How the CIA Left the Navy Defensless Against an Iranian Missile
(DC Bureau)
In 2006, the U.S. Navy claimed it had a defence against the Iranian C-802 cruise missiles. But Iran, once again, put U.S. credibility to the test.

Raytheon Awarded Patriot Support Option
(UPI.com)
The US Army exercised a contract modification with Raytheon for Patriot Air and Missile Defense System upgrades and engineering support services.

Gates, in Riyadh, Aims to Show Regional Unity on Iran
(Business Week)
Gates has urged his counterparts in the region to integrate air and missile defense systems, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters.

Gates Arrives in Saudi Arabia to Discuss Iran
(New York Times)
The talks are to include discussions about United States military cooperation with Saudi Arabia in building up its air and missile defense.

Fort Bliss to Lose Its Chief Later This Year
(El Paso Times/
Las Cruces Sun-News)
Major General Howard Bromberg, responsible for one of the largest expansion projects in Army history, will leave his job as Fort Bliss commander later this year. Bromberg reached the end of a two-year tour of duty in January. Neither his follow-on assignment nor his replacement has been announced.

The Missile Shield Deadlock between the US and Russia
 (Spiegel Online)
Now the United States wants to develop a missile defense system to protect European members of NATO. There are to be four stages, with a scheduled completion date of 2020.

Dangers of Poland Hosting US Missiles in April
(OpEdNews)
The US and Poland have agreed to have US missiles installed in Poland with US troops sometime in April of this year-only a few weeks away. This is a very dangerous development since Russia has threatened to send its missiles to the Polish border last year in similar circumstances...and is holding up the START1 nuclear talks because of US missiles on Russia's border.

Tuesday
9 March 2010

Russia Sees New Nuclear Arms Treaty by April
(The Associated Press)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says a new treaty limiting U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals could be signed within two or three weeks. Russian officials have said a main sticking point concerns U.S. plans to build a missile shield in Eastern Europe.

Russia Sees New Nuclear Arms Treaty by April
(The Associated Press)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says a new treaty limiting U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals could be signed within two or three weeks. Russian officials have said a main sticking point concerns U.S. plans to build a missile shield in Eastern Europe.

Statement of General James N. Mattis, USMC
(United States Joint
Forces Command)
Presently, our Joint Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Center of Excellence, in conjunction with the Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Office, is developing a concept of operations to address challenges and evaluate capabilities associated with countering adversary unmanned aerial systems.

US Army, DOD Disagree Over Future of Patriot Replacement
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
After multiple, unsuccessful efforts to halt work on MEADS, the Army is reportedly attempting one more time to cancel the program operated by the United States, Germany and Italy. Army issues with the system include its cost, its extended development period and the necessity to have Rome and Berlin sign off on any modifications to the program.

Obama's Policy Does Not Allow Missile Defense to Be Part of START Talks
(PR Newswire -
Press Release)
Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), released a statement fully endorsing and supporting President Obama and Secretary Gates' policy positions on missile defense as released in February 2010 with the BMDR report. Ellison also notes that any inclusion of missile defense in the Follow On START talks which are nearing completion would be directly contrary to President Obama's policy for missile defense.

Global Threats Demand Broad Response, Admiral Says 
(Department of Defense)
Navy Admiral James G. Stavridis, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander for Europe and Commander of U.S. European Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the missile defense program offers opportunities to partner with Russia on the possible use of its radar for the system, and with Israel on perhaps adapting the Medium Extended Air Defense System to work with existing technologies.

Tuesday Afternoon Federal Newscast
(FederalNewsRadio.com)
The system, known as the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) has been in the works for over 10 years. The Army says it is too expensive, but the Pentagon is pushing forward, saying it would be too costly to stop. MEADS is scheduled to be delivered in 2018.

MIT Professor: Bulgaria Can Count on US Security Guarantees
(Novinite.com)
Forden believes that even though the planned US missile defense system could technically defend Europe from short-range Russian missiles, the Russians could use longer-range missiles or other measures to overwhelm the shield, as could the Iranians.

GAO: Missile Defense Agency Target Development To Take 'Several Years'
(InsideDefense - Subscription)
The Missile Defense Agency's new approach to developing and acquiring targets will take “several years” to be fully implemented “because most targets needed ...

Decade Of The Drone: America's Aerial Assassins
(Faxts News)
Bill Roggio, editor of the Long War Journal, was quoted as describing the qualitative as well as the quantitative escalation of American drone warfare in Afghanistan and Pakistan: "The main drone is the 'Predator' which carries the 'Hellfire' anti-tank missile. "The 'Reaper,' the older brother of the Predator, carries a thousand pounds of munitions and is also equipped for the Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missile. Plans for adding Stinger air-to-air missiles are underway.

Brazil, China, Russia: No To Iranian Sanctions
(iNEWP- Freedom of Speech)
Russia also stated that this nuclear issue can be solved with negotiation, but the Russian government agreed to cancel shipments of air-defense, S-300 missiles to the country of Iran for the time being, showing a hopeful sign that the European country may be edging towards the approval of the sanctions as it observes Iran’s uranium enrichment program.

James Carafano: When Mad Science Goes to War
(Washington Examiner)
The Army tinkers with an idea, then abandons it -- usually because generals quickly tire of experimenting and decide to use troops for something else. It's a bad pattern. The nation has a permanent interest in trying out new equipment and ideas with real soldiers in a real unit. Other than in battle, this is the most effective means to develop what soldiers really need on the battlefield.

Imperialist 'War Maniacs' Will Meet 'Miserable End'
(Worldmeets.us)
A spokesman for the Korean People's Army General Staff strongly insisted beforehand that the South Korean puppet warmongers and U.S. imperialists stop their criminal and reckless Key Resolve and Foal Eagle Exercises, branding them war games and nuclear war maneuvers aimed at mounting a preemptive surprise attack on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Monday
8 March 2010

US Missile Shield in Bulgaria Will Have Little Impact on Russia’s Defense
(Novinite.com)
According to MIT Researcher Geoffrey Forden, the differences between Russia and the US mainly focuses on what to count and how to count them. For instance, the US does not want to count sea-based cruise missiles (which it has a lot of) as nuclear capable while it wants to count Russian road-mobile ICBMs; a position Russia considers unfair. Also, the US wants to count warheads while Russia would rather count missiles.

A US Volte-Face?
(Right Side News)
The US is increasing air defense capabilities of some Gulf States, which is another impressive sign of US acceptance of the inevitable, and the remarkable air lift of administration notables to Israel to persuade it not to attack Iran is certainly part of the larger picture.

Planners Mull Air-Sea Warfare in Unmanned Age
(Defense Systems)
Nobody is quite sure, in this age of unmanned aircraft and other technology-based weaponry, how to wage and win an air-sea battle. But it's something military planners and budget officials are talking about -- a lot. This is because space-based surveillance plays a key role in ballistic missile defense.

NATO to Study European Role in Revamped U.S. Missile Shield
(InsideDefense - Subscription)
The contract covers an “architectural study” weighing the performance characteristics of missile defense-related command-and-control software, …

Pentagon Resists Army's Desire to Stop Development of MEADS Missile System
(Washington Post)
After several failed attempts, the Army is again trying to cancel a $19 billion missile defense system that the U.S. is developing in partnership with Italy and Germany. Known as the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), it has been in the works for more than a decade and is designed to replace, in part, the Army's aging Patriot system.

What's It Feel Like to Be Well and Promptly Globally-Struck?
(The Faster Times)
As if that’s not enough for those who believe in disarmament,  President Obama announced that he will spend billions of dollars more on updating America’s weapons laboratories to assure the reliability of what he intends to be a much smaller arsenal. … At the same time, the new document. … relies more heavily on missile defense.” As it did with Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik, missile defense is clogging the pipelines of the START II negotiations with Russia as we speak.

U.S. Black Sea Military Buildup Could Trigger Missile War
(Media Monitors Network)
Last month news reports confirmed that the U.S. is to station interceptor missiles in Bulgaria and Romania as an extension of the Pentagon's European (and international) missile shield project. Details are still forthcoming, but what is all but certain is that the missiles are to be land-based versions of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System with Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) medium-range anti-ballistic missiles, though there is already speculation that even more advanced deployments are planned.

"Regional Missile Defense" Planned Against North Korea, US Official Says (Global Security Newswire/NTI) A U.S. Defense Department official said Friday that the Obama administration plans to set up a "regional missile defense" to counter the threat posed by North Korea.

Coming to Israel,
Biden Flags US Support Versus Iran
(Reuters)
The Obama administration has boosted U.S. defense ties to Israel and will close ranks with its ally against any threat from a nuclear-armed Iran, Vice President Joe Biden said on Monday ahead of a trip to Israel.

Saturday 6 and  Sunday 7
March 2010

The Free World Needs Much Better Missile Defense
(Arutz Sheva)
"Not enough has been done to meet the missile threat by creating a better missile defense system. It's missiles against missile defense,” said Larry Greenfield, Executive Director of the Reagan Legacy Foundation, as he spoke with Israel National Radio's Tovia Singer at this year's Jerusalem Conference on the missile threat against Israel.

Army Installs Another Missile at Fort Greeley
(Anchorage Daily News)
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported that the missile installed last month is the 22nd at the Missile Defense Agency site outside Delta Junction. The Pentagon plans to install 26 of the missiles at Fort Greely by October as part of the Ballistic Missile Defense System and are designed to shoot down enemy warheads in mid-flight outside the Earth's atmosphere.

Falcon, First 'Missile
With a Brain'
(Alamogordo Daily News)
This Week in Space History - The eight-year-old classified weapon the Air Force finally unveiled to the public was "the only air-to-air missile with a brain of its own," The Associated Press reported on March 15, 1955.

BRAC Brings Change to Lawton Community
(NewsOK.com)
Lawton’s changes can be directly attributed to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure orders, which called for the transfer of the U.S. Army’s Air Defense School from Fort Bliss, Texas, to Fort Sill. Thousands of soldiers and their families have relocated to the Lawton-Fort Sill community, perhaps as many as 7,000 of the estimated 10,000 people expected by 2011.

Army Installs Another Missile at Fort Greely
(Anchorage Daily News/AP)
The Pentagon plans to install 26 missiles at Fort Greely by October. The missiles are part of the Ballistic Missile Defense System and are designed to shoot down enemy warheads in mid-flight outside the Earth's atmosphere.

Iran gives Russia Pilots Two Months to Leave: Report
(Reuters)
The move is a further sign of strains between Iran and Russia, which has indicated it could back new sanctions against Tehran over its disputed nuclear work. For its part, Iran has voiced frustration over Moscow's failure to deliver a defense missile system.

Friday
5 March 2010
Okinawa and the New Domino Effect
(Asia Times Online)
When cooperation on missile defense contradicted Japan's ban on militarizing space, Tokyo again waved a magic wand and made the restriction disappear.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Reserves the Right to Nuclear First Strike
(Center for Research on Globalization)
The Quadrennial Defense Review, provides for the development of a new class of non-nuclear missiles capable of reaching a target anywhere in the world in less than an hour. The draft makes it clear that the emphasis is on non-nuclear weapons, including missile defense in the Persian Gulf in direct proximity to Iran.

Ian Bremmer: Iran is Ultimately Likely to Go Nuclear as North Korea Did
(RIA Novosti)
The key sticking point on reaching a new strategic arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia concerns missile defense capabilities. Russia insists that the treaty cover not only offensive weapons, as in the past, but also includes more transparency on US tests of defensive systems.

Military Drafts Smart Phone Apps
(Investor's Business Daily)
The Army has launched a programming competition to create smart phone and Web applications (Apps) aimed at making the military more efficient. The Army will  also test iPhone-like devices that can run battlefield apps.

US, Germany, Italy Begin Negotiations on MEADS Production Agreement
(InsideDefense - Subscription)
The three countries co-developing the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) have begun discussing a framework for the eventual production of ...

Russian Military Yet to Identify Causes of Bulava Missile's Woes
(RIA Novosti)
The Russian military is still working to establish the reasons for the misfiring of the troubled Bulava ballistic missile, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Friday. The Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) has officially suffered seven failures in 12 tests.

Thursday
4 March 2010

US Tightens Missile Shield Encirclement Of China And Russia (Faxts News) Washington is hoping to sell India and other Southeast Asian countries the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-3 missile defense system.

Inside Look at 'Lifeliners' Soldier Training (NewsChannel5.com) NewsChannel 5 got an inside look at the training soldiers in Fort Campbell's 101st Sustainment Brigade perform before deploying. The Lifeliners Brigade is made up of Soldiers from seven units, the 101st Brigade Troops; 106th Transportation; 129th Corps Support; 326th Engineer; 184th Ordnance; 2nd Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery Regiment; and 716th Military Police Battalions. 

Colonel Manning Leaving Fort Bliss
(KFOX El Paso)
Fort Bliss Garrison Commander Colonel Edward P. Manning will relinquish his position as Garrison Commander of Fort Bliss to Colonel Joseph Simonelli Jr. on 25 March 2010.

Another Interceptor Missile at Fort Greely
(Global Security News/NTI)
The U.S. Defense Department has recently fielded its 22nd missile interceptor at the missile fields of Fort Greely, Alaska.

Bulgaria NGOs Demand Referendum on US Defense Shield
(Novinite.com)
Bulgarian Non-Government Organizations have united in their demand to hold a referendum about adopting elements of the planned US missile defense shield in their country. The National Movement “Russophiles”, the Forum “Bulgaria – Russia,” and the Slavic Union in Bulgaria are all against the US defense shield, and demand a wide public and institutional debate with clearly stated pros and cons and full transparency because if the importance to national security.

US Missile Defenses Enhanced to Deal With Growing Threat, General Says
(Global Security Newswire/NTI)
A senior U.S. Defense Department official said the rising risk of missile attack has led the United States to pursue a concerted expansion of its missile defenses.

Shadow Elite: Why Did Military Top Brass Flout Its Own Chain of Command?
(Huffington Post - Blog)
Beginning in the 1980s, proponents of the "Star Wars" Strategic Defense Initiative set up or mobilized several pressure organizations to influence the opinion of decision makers, helping to keep missile defense alive after the end of the Cold War.

China Announces 7.5 Percent Jump in Defense Spending
(The Associated Press)
China on Thursday announced its smallest increase in defense spending in more than two decades, a likely result of both financial constraints and growing concern over perceptions of Beijing as a regional military threat.

What Did Teheran Ask of Hizbullah?
(Jerusalem Post)
To complement its upgraded arsenal, Hizbullah recently spelled out a new military posture toward Israel. Nasrallah hinted at this possibility in February 2009, stating, “Every few days, reports appear that the resistance has acquired ... sophisticated air defense missiles,” adding coyly, “Of course, I neither deny nor confirm this.” US officials have already confirmed in the Arab press that Hizbullah is training with Syria on the antiquated SA-2 antiaircraft system.

Wednesday
3 March 2010

General Sounds Alarm on U.S. Army Training
(Miami Herald)
The Army's ability to train its forces is "increasingly at risk" because of the nation's protracted commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan, the general in charge of training has told the Army's chief of staff.

Electromagnetic Pulse Weapons: Congress Must Understand the Risk
(Heritage.org)
Clearly, the terminal-phase ballistic missile defense systems currently in the field or entering the field, such as the Patriot system and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, will not reliably intercept such ballistic missiles prior to the detonation of an EMP warhead.

Demon vs. Phantom Ray: The World's Deadliest Drones
(FOXNews)
The U.S. is investing billions of dollars in drones, the unmanned aircraft that are key to the modern military. With names like Sky Warrior and Vulture, these radar-proof spy planes can stealthily track -- and secretly kill -- terrorist targets. The only problem: The enemy has them too.

No Apology: The Case for American Greatness (Mitt Romney)
(Newsweek – Book Review)
The book is, essentially, a catalog of policy recommendations: Romney is for entitlement reform, nuclear power, more missile defense, school choice, tax incentives for (heterosexual) married people, and patriotism. Additional reviews: Romney in the Wilderness, Waiting – Robert Costas and Mitt Romney, Version 2012 – Boston Globe.

 Missile Defense Agency Selects TASC
(UPI.com)
TASC announced it was selected as part of a five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract from the Missile Defense Agency Special Programs Office. Under the deal, TASC will compete for task orders to support the Ballistic Missile Defense System with engineering, IT and information assurance services among other requirements.

PROCUREMENT: Missiles For The Masses
(Strategy Page)
The U.S. Army is becoming a major buyer, and user, of guided missiles. In the next year, the army will spend nearly $2 billion on development and procurement of missile systems. Most of this is for missile systems that are not needed right now, but would be if the right foe were encountered. For example, $480 million is being spent on Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile missiles.

 Iran Making New Smart Bombs
(UPI.com)
Iran's Fars News Agency reported plans to test a new laser-guided bomb (Qassed-2), a prototype of a 2,000-pound smart bomb "in the near future." Others speculated that "the announcement is a move to discourage the Gulf emirate states from participating in the expansion of the United States' Patriot Missile Defense System," the Threat Matrix reported.

Tuesday
2 March 2010

US Will Deploy Missile Defense Elements in Romania
(The Yorker)
On the 4th of February the Romanian President, Traian Basescu, announced that Romania will host US missile defense elements. This announcement was a surprise for most as Romania was not a known candidate for the US missile shield project, unlike Poland and the Czech Republic. The decision to deploy anti-ballistic missile defense in Romania was taken after a reevaluation of Iran’s threat to Europe.

Army Sees Sharp Rise in Unfit Soldiers
(USAToday.com)
The percentage of soldiers who are unavailable for combat has risen sharply during the past three years from 11% of each brigade in 2007 to 16% this year, Army records show.

Raytheon Awarded $18 Million for SLAMRAAM Long-Lead Purchases  
(PR Newswire -
Press Release)
"SLAMRAAM represents an important step forward in the defense of our troops on the battlefield as well as our nation and allies," said Karen Kalil-Brown, vice president for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' National & Theater Security Programs. "SLAMRAAM will field the first command and control air defense system supporting the Army's vision of 'system of systems.'"

Awaiting the Nuclear Posture Review
(Heritage.org - Blog)
It is possible that the Obama Administration’s policy will rely more on missile defense for protection against an attack from a country like Iran as it reduces the nuclear arsenal. Adopting a “protect and defend” strategy is the most effective way to minimize the nuclear threat.

Missile Defense Agency Selects TASC for Ballistic Missile Defense System Security Contract
(PR Newswire -
Press Release)
"TASC will partner with the Missile Defense Agency in its mission to develop and employ enhanced protection methodologies to preserve Ballistic Missile Defense System superiority, assist in predicting and countering existing and emerging world threats, while pursuing new technologies and capabilities," said Wood Parker, President and CEO for TASC.

Florida Governor
Charlie Crist's State of
the State Address
(Tampa Tribune)
With us tonight is Sergeant Michael Makai. While serving in Afghanistan, his determination and selfless service were vital in the detachment's success. In addition to ensuring minimum down-time for Sentinel air defense radar, he volunteered his time assisting the medical team when high numbers of casualties were brought in.

Monday
1 March 2010

US-Russia Treaty Stalls Over Obama Missile Defense Plan
(Kansas City Star)
Negotiations to complete a new U.S.-Russia nuclear arms treaty have stalled over a Russian demand for the option to withdraw unilaterally if Moscow determines that U.S. missile defenses would threaten its intercontinental nuclear missile force, a senior U.S. official said Monday.

China's Missile Test Rings Alarm Bells in Japan Over Intelligence Amid Strained U.S. Ties
(Mainichi Daily News)
China had already been successful with their anti-satellite efforts, which can be used to counteract Japanese and US missile defense systems.

Iran Could Face
Expanded Sea-Based Checks, Official Says
(Global Security Newswire)
In Tehran, a lawmaker on Saturday urged the Iranian military to set a cutoff date for Russia to deliver its S-300 missile defense system.

Iran to Test Qased-2
Missile Soon
(Tehran Times)
Iran will test its latest domestically manufactured guided missile, the Qased-2 (Messenger-2), in the near future, Air Force Commander Hassan Shah-Saffi said here on Monday.

US, Russian Nuclear Negotiators Meet Again March 9
(The Associated Press)
Russian Gen. Nikolai Makarov said last week that a key obstacle centered on U.S. plans to place missiles in Eastern Europe to shield against potential launches from Iran or North Korea. He said there were concerns the missile defense was aimed against Russia.

Iran to Test Fire Optimized Smart Bombs
(Fars News Agency)
US officials announced that the United States has expanded land- and sea-based missile defense systems in and around the Persian Gulf to counter what it calls Iran's growing missile threat.

Issue Brief No. 109: Missile Defense in Romania and Bulgaria
(Central Europe Digest)
The announcement that the United States is considering placing Ballistic Missile Defense installations in Romania and Bulgaria has again strained U.S.-Russian relations. In response, Moscow has threatened to impede completion of the renegotiated START Treaty. The fresh tension could herald the beginning of the end of Washington’s “reset” policy with Russia.

NATO's New Strategic Concept: A View from Capitol Hill
(Central Europe Digest)
Iran's progress in developing nuclear weapons and delivery vehicles has highlighted the need for territorial missile defense capabilities.

Russia Expresses "Serious" Concerns with US Missile Shield
(Global Security Newswire)
Poland announced Saturday that it would receive an initial set of U.S. Patriot missiles next month. Polish Defense Ministry spokesman Januz Sejmej said U.S. military personnel assigned to operate the surface-to-air-missiles would accompany the Patriots' arrival, according to the PAP news agency.