The Japan Times: The government is planning to acquire a greater range of ship-borne interceptors, upgrading two of Japan’s six Aegis ships and building two more. It is also considering buying a U.S. land-based high-altitude interception system. The Defense Ministry plans to develop an improved version of the SM-3 interceptor rockets carried by Aegis vessels… read more
Defense News: SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is pushing for deployment on its soil of a US high-altitude air defense system as North Korean missile threats expand. The move has stoked fears in China, which believes deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system could help Washington to expand its military power in the region. South Korea… read more
United Press International: WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (UPI) — The U.S. Army awarded AMEC Programs a $182.7 million contract with options to support the Aegis Ashore missile defense system in Poland. For the contract, AMEC Programs received funds covering Fiscal 2015 and 2016 military construction in addition to research, development, testing, evaluation and procurement. The construction… read more
National Post: The Gulf states are investing billions of dollars in advanced missile defences designed to protect their cities against attack from Iran, according to the latest survey of the global military balance. Iran has developed cruise missiles with precision accuracy and ranges of up to 1,250 miles. From Kuwait in the Gulf’s northern waters… read more
USA Today: SEOUL, South Korea – Looking to take a harder line after North Korea’s recent nuclear test and rocket launch, Seoul and Washington will begin talks as early as next week on deploying a sophisticated U.S. missile defense system in South Korea, officials said Friday. The new tough stance follows South Korea’s decision to… read more
Reuters: Raytheon’s Patriot remains Poland’s first choice in its missile defense tender, the Polish deputy defense minister said, but only if the price is lowered and Poland can access certain U.S. defense technologies. Last year, Poland’s centrist government said it would buy U.S. Raytheon’s Patriot missiles in a deal worth an estimated $5 billion. The… read more
Defense News: WASHINGTON — The Missile Defense Agency’s fiscal 2017 budget request of $7.5 billion preserves priorities it set last year but also continues to tee up several science and technology experiments to get after more complex and evolving threats. The agency is seeking $72 million in weapons technology development to build “the technological foundation”… read more
Popular Mechanics: Back in 2014, the guided missile-carrying destroyer USS John Paul Jones made history. During a live fire missile tests, one of its SM-6 air defense missiles completed the longest surface-to-air engagement in naval history. The Navy wouldn’t say the exact range of the missile for security’s sake, but the ability to take out incoming… read more
Real Clear Politics: Amid growing concerns about missile warfare, panelists at a breakfast hosted by RealClearPolitics on Tuesday discussed the state of U.S missile defense, threats from hostile nations and the funding trajectory of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense program (GMD). The missile defense budget, about $8.3 billion, will likely decrease next year, said Rebeccah Heinrichs,… read more
Boston Herald: Last month, Asia’s nonstop nuisance, North Korea, went “nuclear” with an atomic test; this month, it went “ballistic” with its launch of an Unha (“Galaxy”) missile carrying a Kwangmyongsong (“Bright Star”) satellite into space. Talk about anger management problems! Fortunately for us, January’s nuclear weapons test seems to have fallen shy of being… read more