AL.com: There is wide and bipartisan agreement that North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs pose a grave threat to the United States and our allies. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called it an “imminent” threat. His predecessor John Kerry said North Korea’s nuclear program would be one of the top challenges for the new… read more
AIN Online: Around 1,500 MBDA Aster medium-range air defense missiles have now been delivered to nine nations, equipping 55 air defence systems. Now the company (Chalet 173) is working with its partner in the Eurosam consortium, Thales, to develop a new version that gives expanded capabilities, with an accent on ballistic missile defense. Development is… read more
Missile Defense Agency: The U.S. Missile Defense Agency and the Japan Ministry of Defense conducted a development flight test today of a new Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missile off the coast of Hawaii. A planned intercept was not achieved. The SM-3 Block IIA is being developed cooperatively by the U.S. and Japan to defeat… read more
The Hill: Japan will test its missile interceptor capability on Thursday, following several North Korean missile tests that have shaken the nation, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported. The country’s Air Self-Defense Force will test its Lockheed Martin-made Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3), designed to shoot down missiles, at four bases in Tokyo. The PAC-3 are meant to… read more
The New York Times: PARIS — The German government hopes to complete negotiations with European weapons maker MBDA and its U.S. partner, Lockheed Martin Corp about a multi-billion euro missile defense system by year-end, a ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. That would pave the way for the German parliament to review and approve the proposed… read more
Stars and Stripes: IRUMA AIR BASE, Japan — Japanese airmen’s boots thudded on asphalt and electric motors hummed as a PAC3 missile launcher aimed into the blue sky over Tokyo. The launcher, part of a U.S.-made Patriot missile-defense system at Iruma, a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base on the city’s outskirts, is one of many… read more
DOD Buzz: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last week that additional spending on missile defense against the North Korean threat awaits a strategy review. “It’s a prioritization,” Mattis said. “Right now, I think we can first do the study to make sure what is the requirement, what are we lacking.” The goal is to “define… read more
Sputnik: The US Department of Defense announced that Raytheon has been awarded a more than $652-million cumulative contract to provide the US Navy and allied navies with the Standard Missile-2 used as part of the AEGIS missile and air defense system. Raytheon has been awarded a more than $652-million cumulative contract to provide the US… read more
Tucson: Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems will highlight its weapons for the F-35 stealth fighter jet and tout its missile-defense systems for Europe next week at the 52nd Paris Air Show. Raytheon, a top supplier of missiles to the U.S. and its allies, is a regular exhibitor at numerous military trade shows as well as broader… read more
IHS Jane’s: The Ministry of Defense (MoD) in Tokyo has announced that the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) will be conducting rapid deployment exercises of its Patriot PAC-3 missile systems to enhance the service’s response capability against ballistic missiles amid growing military threats from North Korea. The first such exercise was scheduled to take place… read more