Reuters: Iran will unveil an upgrade of its Emad ballistic missiles this year, the defense minister was quoted as saying, advancing a program that has drawn criticism from the United Nations and sanctions from the United States. The Islamic Republic would also start taking delivery of an advanced Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile defense system in… read more
Almanar: The Missile Unit of the Yemeni army and the Popular Committees launched at dawn Tuesday a Qaher1-type ballistic missile on Jizan regional airport inside Saudi Arabia, Al-Massira TV channel reported. The rocket – developed by the expertise of Yemeni forces – has been the third of its kind following two previous missiles fired at… read more
The Hill: The United States and South Korea will begin discussions on placing an anti-missile system on the peninsula following North Korea’s rocket launch over the weekend. “North Korea continues to develop their nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and it is the responsibility of our alliance to maintain a strong defense against those threats,”… read more
Defense News: As we turn the page to a New Year, members of Congress and their staffs will face a myriad of difficult questions regarding how best to protect our homeland from a growing number of threats to our national security. In this era of declining budgets, it is critical our top national priorities are… read more
ASSESSING THE behavior of North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un is necessarily a matter of guesswork. In light of North Korea’s launch Sunday of another long-range rocket, however, our favorite theory is a simple one: Mr. Kim is responding rationally, even shrewdly, to the outside world. The 30-something dictator no doubt noticed that after the regime’s… read more
USA Today: The United Nations Security Council on Sunday unanimously condemned North Korea’s launch of a long-range missile as a violation of U.N. resolutions banning ballistic missile tests and promised “significant” new sanctions. The Security Council — whose 15 members include the United States, China and Russia — said even though North Korea characterized the rocket test as a satellite… read more
i24 News: The United States and Israel will participate in a bilateral military exercise in February, the Israeli army said in a statement on Saturday. The exercise, Juniper Cobra, has been in the works since 2014 and is designed to improve the cooperation and coordination between the US European Command (USEUCOM) and the Israel Defense… read more
Defense Systems: As the Pentagon prepares to unveil a tech-heavy budget request, senior officials are highlighting a low-profile office created in 2012 to identify new capabilities and rush them to the battlefield. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter gave the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) a shout out during a budget preview before the Economics Club of Washington this… read more
UPI: North Korea provocations are pushing South Korea toward strengthening its system of defense and to possibly deploy an advanced U.S. missile system on the peninsula. South Korean military officers with the Combined Forces Command, specializing in new weapons purchases, had traveled to the United States to possibly discuss defense measures, South Korean television network… read more
US Department of Defense: Defense Secretary Ash Carter previewed the department’s fiscal year 2017 budget request, highlighting for sailors in San Diego the new lethality the budget proposes for ships, submarines, aviation and munitions. Carter is meeting this week with troops and defense community members around the country to preview the proposed defense budget. Yesterday… read more