TWMD: June 15 - June 21, 2019: Tensions with Iran Escalate, Houthi Missile Attacks, Multinational Air and Missile Defense Training in Poland

THIS WEEK IN MISSILE DEFENSE

June 15 - June 21, 2019

THE WEEK IN BRIEF

On Monday and Tuesday, Tobruq Legacy 2019 conducted the live fire exercise portion of the 16 day long, multinational air and missile defense exercise. This year, Tobruq Legacy was hosted and directed by Poland and 3,000 personnel from 13 nations participated in the live fire to ensure and improve interoperability among allies.

Also on Monday, Iran announced it will exceed the JCPOA limit on its stockpile of uranium in ten days. A spokesman for Iran’s atomic energy agency said the country had quadrupled the rate of enrichment to exceed the limit. The limit set by the deal was 300 kilograms enriched no higher than 3.67% - far below the 90% level required for nuclear weapons.

On Wednesday, to counter rising tensions with Iran, the United States announced 1,000 additional troops will be deployed to the middle east. A Patriot Missile Battalion will be part of the new deployment to protect U.S. forces and assets in the area.

Also on Wednesday, two rockets landed near compounds housing ExxonMobil staff in Iraq’s southern city of Basra. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the strike. Three people were injured in the attack.

On Thursday, Yemen’s Houthi rebels continued their missile and drone attacks in Saudi Arabia by striking a power station in the southern province of Jizan. The rebel’s affiliated news claimed the strike used a ‘cruise missile’. There were no injuries reported in the attack.

Also on Thursday, U.S. troops partnered with Romanian forces in an air defense live fire exercise, part of the ongoing Saber Guardian 19 exercise in Romania. Patriot missile systems were used to intercept drones flying over the black sea. Romania is scheduled to acquire and field Patriots next year.

In the latest of developments with Iran, on Thursday the Iran’s Revolutionary Guard shot down an RQ-4A Global Hawk. Iran claims the drone violated their territorial space, while the DoD states it was operating in international air-space over the Strait of Hormuz.

Click here to read all of the headlines from the week.

MDAA ALERTS

All Eyes on Poland

The United States President Donald Trump announced last week an agreement to increase the U.S. troop presence in Poland by 25% and Poland plans to purchase 32 F-35s, the fourth generation aircraft designed to penetrate Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) areas.

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Stability Through Missile Defense

Currently deployed and operational missile defense systems by the United States in the Arabian Gulf region, Turkey, Israel, Romania, Germany, the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf and in the Mediterranean Sea are shaping the deterrent to and calculus of Iran, by defending U.S. & allied strike capabilities against Iran and by....

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MDAA WEBSITE UPDATES AND FEATURES

Hypersonic Weapons

Hypersonic weapons incorporate the speed of a ballistic missile with the maneuvering capabilities of a cruise missile. Hypersonic weapons refer to weapons that travel....

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Japan

Japanese involvement in missile defense dates back to the deployment of the Nike-J missile, a conventionally tipped version of the Hercules missile, which was the result of a Memorandum of Understanding that was finalized in 1967. A team from...

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Aegis Afloat

Aegis Afloat is the sea-based component of the Missile Defense Agency’s Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). Aegis BMD builds upon the Aegis Weapon.....

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MISSILE DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Master Sergeant Chad Petrie

MSgt Petrie is the NCOIC of Weapons and Tactics for the 213th Space Warning Squadron. He oversees tactics and procedures for the Early Warning and Upgraded Early Warning Radar at Clear AFS, Alaska. Additionally, he is a Lead Instructor providing quality, accurate, and interactive training to 33 Space and Missile Operations Commanders and Crew Chiefs, producing highly skilled missile warning and missile defense professionals. MSgt Petrie trains space professionals to accurately determine and report ICBM and SLBM launches within 60 seconds to the Integrated Tactical Warning/Attack Assessment system as well as to plan, track, and report Low Earth Orbit Satellite pass information to the Air Force Space Command and Control Network. He develops advance-training scenarios to posture the team to be mission effective in even the most fast-paced, demanding, and complicated scenarios. MSgt Petrie is the connective tissue that bind Ops Training, weapons and tactics, and the crew force together. A superb senior noncommissioned officer, unrivaled technical expert, and tremendously effective instructor, he consistently generates warfighter results across the crew force.

MSgt Petrie graduated from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. He joined the Alaska Air National Guard in October 2004 and started his career as a Communication and Navigation Systems Specialist with the 168th Air Refueling Wing. In 2006 he retrained into the Aircraft Guidance and Control career field maintaining the HH60 PAVE LOWE Helicopter for the 210th Rescue Squadron and the 176th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron until 2009. He again retrained in 2010 into the space operations career field as a Space and Missile Operations Crew Chief. After working on crew in the Missile Warning Operations Center at the 213th SWS for fourteen months, he was selected as a Staff Instructor in 2011. In 2014, he retrained as a Personnel Specialist and returned to the 213th SWS in 2015 as a Staff Instructor. A selection of MSgt Petrie’s awards and decorations include the Air Force Commendation Medal (1 device), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (1 device), Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (1 device), Combat Readiness Medal, National Defense Service Medal (1 device), and the NATO Medal.