“We have fielded a phenomenal system that nobody really knows about that has been a highlight. It has offered a deterrent. It has offered defense. It has saved thousands and thousands and thousands of lives in Afghanistan during the 20 years of that conflict. It helped save lives, and secured the airport for everyone on the evacuation. It is a special system. It is a system that’s a pioneer system that was developed by a different military service, the Navy, fielded by a different military service, the Army, rapidly put together quickly because of the urgency of the need for this system. It is deployed and operational today in the Middle East on other forward operating bases saving lives and defending both our allies, the country’s nationals, and our troops forward.”

We do talk about the new strategic deterrent. In fact, the Army fires conference in Oklahoma, Fort Sill, significantly talked about that this week. We talk about strategic deterrence at a high level against our near peers. But at the low level, missile defense, rocket, counter rocket, counter mortar also does that effective deterrent to save and to stop not conflict, but be able to deter much more strikes on us than there were. 

So, today, we’re going to study this. And we’ve brought the very best retired out of the Army air defense systems that were the critical decision makers to bring this capability forward, to implement it, and to make it is today. So, we’re very, very honored to have with us Retired Lieutenant General Bob Lennox, Retired Brigadier General Randy McIntire, Retired Colonel Dave Shank, all three critical in making this system happen.” – Riki Ellison

“Could we have done more? I think in hindsight because it was so successful, we probably could have done more and had more systems out there and more capabilities out there. I was a little bit surprised. It took us so long to get this kind of capability into Afghanistan over time. But we did. But it just took us a little bit longer than I thought we should have.” – LtG (Ret) Bob Lennox 

“And what we did was started playing to our strengths between the Army and Navy. And we had these batteries that were both Army and Navy. And that’s when I think the turning point and a level of performance started to happen. You started to see more intercepts, better sense and warning, just across the board increasing the efficiency of the system.”- BG (Ret) Radnall McIntire 

“We’ve got to figure out how to replace this system because it’s just one portion of a layered air missile defense capability that is much needed. And we’ve got to do it fast. We’ve got to speed up the acquisition process. I mean again, this is a capability you heard from General Lennox, from General McIntire. I mean this capability was rapidly put together from a urgent needs statement, from a commander in the Middle East. And within less than a year, the Fort Bliss was producing formations to go fight and win in support of the formations forward.”- COL (Ret) David Shank 

“And in conclusion, the three of you and maybe a thousand of your soldiers that have operated over the past 17 years, you’ve pioneered something that’s spectacular. That’s something that we’re going to try to duplicate and be better at before it’s time to rapidly put a system in place at urgent need to do the things you did with cross-service integration and make it work and make it work so effectively that we could reduce the suffering. we could make that evacuation. We could and did defend the thousands and thousands and thousands of our troops and allies over there.”  


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