Join the Alliance

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Launching into a Brighter Future

November 24, 2021
Jeff Dillemuth, Riki Ellison, COL Michael Hatfield, Captain Chris Lucca and SFC Michael Diachenko at our Ronald Reagan Missile Defense Memorial at Vandenberg Space Base November 11/20/2021

While China, Russia, and North Korea are engaged in unprecedented strategic collusion and proliferation of Ballistic, Cruise, and Hypersonic Missiles and associated technologies, something very special is happening in California. 

Global Space and Missile Defense centers in and launches from California. We center with it on our Global Space and Defense program at the University of Southern California. Off the California Pacific Coast, the United States Space Force operates multiple space launch complexes to deliver military and commercial satellites on rockets into geostationary orbit (GEO) medium earth orbit (MEO) and low earth orbit LEO with the nation’s best launch capabilities for Polar and Molniya Orbits as well as the near-equatorial orbit launching West. In this same place on the Pacific Coast, the United States Air Force centers and launches its annual testing of its Minuteman ICBM missiles for nuclear deterrence by the 576th Flight Test Squadron. Further, on this same piece of California beach front real estate is an element of the Nation’s Ground Based Missile Defense system that has four active operational launch facilities and does the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) of the upgrades of the GBI Fleet increasing its reliability as well as test these GBIs in a 5th launch facility. The next generation interceptor (NGI) will be put together here and tested at the minimum of four development tests at Vandenberg Space Force Base for an initial deployment of the first NGI in 2027.

This past weekend, we brought together this nexus of Global Space and Defense program at Vandenberg Space Force Base with the inaugural class of the USC Global Space and Defense Program to bring concepts to reality and igniting critical thinking on this crucial mission for the National Security of our Nation. The Cohort Class visited the Western Range Operations Control Center, the Horizontal Integration Facility for the Delta 4 Heavy Lift Rocket and Space Launch Complex 6 where the Delta 4 is launched, our Ronald Reagan Missile Defense Viewing Site, the GBI launch pad facility, and the Consolidated Interceptor Facility.

We are in a time of great threats to the Space Domain and to the United States Homeland from China, Russia, and North Korea. The unity of Command and unity of Effort to bring this nexus in California to bear in negating and deterring these pressing threats in Space and to our Homeland is apparent and upon us. 

California is the epicenter for the forward progress of United States security in space. Missile Defense in California is integral to protecting our interests in space and our homeland.

As we approach Thanksgiving Day, please join us in being thankful for the guardians, airmen, and soldiers at Vandenburg Space Force Base Operations, the United States Space Force, the United States Air Force, and the Nation’s Ground Based Missile Defense System that defend our Nation 24/7/365.

Recent Alerts

Mission Statement

MDAA’s mission is to make the world safer by advocating for the development and deployment of missile defense systems to defend the United States, its armed forces and its allies against missile threats.

MDAA is the only organization in existence whose primary mission is to educate the American public about missile defense issues and to recruit, organize, and mobilize proponents to advocate for the critical need of missile defense. We are a non-partisan membership-based and membership-funded organization that does not advocate on behalf of any specific system, technology, architecture or entity.

How You Can Help

International Cooperation