missile | Common News Update

Jan72021 by adminNo Comments

Scrap the Minuteman III missile, STRATCOM chief Adm. Charles Richard says

Business

Jan. 6 (UPI) -- The Minuteman III program of 450 missiles, begun in1970, must be replaced and not extended, U.S. Strategic Command chief Adm. Charles Richard said. Richard's comments, made during a virtual briefing on Tuesday, come as President-elect Joe Biden's incoming administration considers ways to reduce the cost of a planned 30-year, $ 1.2 trillion modernization of the United States' nuclear defense capabilities. Advertisement "Let me be very clear: you cannot life-extend Minuteman III, alright? It is getting past the point of it's not cost effective to life-extend Minuteman III," Richard told reporters. "That thing is so old, in some cases, the drawings don't exist anymore, or where we have drawings, they're like six generations behind the industry standard. There's not only not a...

Jan52021 by adminNo Comments

SpaceX, L3Harris pursue hypersonic missile defense system

Science

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- SpaceX has won a $ 150 million contract to launch the U.S. Department of Defense's first batch of hypersonic missile defense satellites, the second contract -- for roughly the same amount -- that has been awarded for their development. SpaceX and Florida-based defense firm L3Harris Technologies are competing and collaborating on the project, which is designed for the rapid development of a globe-circling network with dozens of satellites. Advertisement Lockheed Martin and Denver-based satellite firm York Space Systems also are building spacecraft for the network. "It's a response to the evolving hypersonic abilities from Russia and China and others potentially," George Nacouzi, a senior engineer at the Rand Corporation, a non-profit think tank for the defens...

Dec142020 by adminNo Comments

Trump administration sanctions Turkey for Russian missile system

World

Dec. 14 (UPI) -- The Trump administration hit Turkey with a round of sanctions Monday for purchasing a Russian missile defense system in 2017. President Donald Trump had initially stalled on hitting the NATO ally with sanctions, even though Turkey's purchase of the missile system violated U.S. sanctions law. Advertisement The delay brought complaints from Republicans and Democrats and Congress had recently passed the annual defense policy bill that required Trump to enact the sanctions within 30 days. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a deal to purchase the S-400 missile system for $ 2.5 billion with Russian President Vladimir Putin. NATO allies argued that the system posed a threat to their allies and U.S. warplanes like the F-35. Turkey said the Presidency of Defense Industrie...

Dec142020 by adminNo Comments

B-1B bomber carries, launches missile externally for first time, Air Force says

Business

Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A test of a B-1B Lancer bomber demonstrated the plane's ability to carry and launch missiles externally, the U.S. Air Force said on Monday. The "external weapon release demonstration" at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., on Dec. 4 followed a similar test in November. That demonstration included an inert Joint Air-to-Air Standoff Missile being carried, but not fired, beneath the fuselage of the aircraft. Advertisement The December test suggests that all manner of heavy missiles, notably hypersonic missiles currently under development, could be fired from B-1Bs, Air Force officials have said. "The Air Force Test Center is enthusiastically teaming with the Air Force Global Strike Command to enable greater flexibility in bomber payloads," Maj. Gen. Christopher Azzano, Air Force ...

Dec52020 by adminNo Comments

Navy’s second guided missile frigate to be named USS Congress

Business

Dec. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy's second Constellation-class guided missile frigate will be named USS Congress, Navy Secretary Kenneth J. Braithwaite announced on Friday. It will follow the USS Constellation, whose name Braithwaite announced in October, and is expected to be delivered in 2026. Advertisement The ships are the first two of the Navy's new Guided Missile Frigate class of ships, referred to as FFG(X). Earlier this year, the Navy awarded Marinette Marine Corp. with a $ 795.1 million contract to begin construction of 10 planned examples of the class. The Navy seeks 20 guided missile frigates by Fiscal Year 2030, a 2019 Navy report to the U.S. Congress said. Braithwaite made the announcement regarding the new ship's name during a Senate hearing. The design of the ships is based on ...