Latest news with #Ground-BasedMidcourseDefense
Miami Herald
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
US Simulates ICBM Attack by Nuclear-Armed North Korea
The United States simulated an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) attack on its homeland by the nuclear-armed North Korea last week at a strategic base located in Alaska. The missile defense simulation was conducted during Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll's visit to Fort Greely. Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Army for further comment by email. The North Korean Embassy in China did not immediately respond to a request for comment. North Korea is one of the nine nations armed with nuclear weapons, and the country has an estimated 50 warheads. In October last year, it test-launched an ICBM that has a potential range of up to 9,320 miles, an expert said, capable of launching a nuclear attack on the U.S. mainland. The U.S. has established the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system to defend the homeland against North Korean ICBM attacks. A total of 64 interceptor silos were built at Fort Greely and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California for targeting incoming missiles. The Trump administration is pushing for the so-called "Iron Dome for America," a next-generation missile defense shield that will defend against the threat of attack by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, as well as other advanced aerial attacks. Driscoll visited two bases in Alaska, Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely, from April 23 to 24, according to photos released by the U.S. Army Public Affairs Office on its Flickr account. During his visit at Fort Greely, the secretary "received a briefing on the GMD missile crew tactics, techniques, and procedures utilized by the crews operating the GMD Fire Control System during a simulated ICBM attack against the United States," the U.S. Army revealed. John Plumb, who served as assistant secretary of defense for space policy from 2022 to 2024, said in a speech in April last year that the GMD is designed to protect the homeland, including Hawaii and Alaska, against ICBM threats from North Korea and potentially Iran. However, the GMD is neither intended for, nor capable of, defeating what it called "the large and sophisticated ICBM, air-, or sea-launched ballistic missile threats" from both Russia and China, said the 2022 Missile Defense Review, which is the Pentagon's strategic document. Russia and China each possess hundreds of long-range ballistic missile launchers, while the North Korean ICBM force's operational status remains uncertain due to untrustworthy or limited public sources, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. According to a military observer on X, formerly Twitter, several photos show Driscoll inspecting what appears to be a Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) storage facility, where two interceptors were placed. The GBI is a missile equipped with a payload, also known as the kill vehicle, which will be released in space toward the warhead carried by an ICBM, using the kinetic force of the direct collision to destroy the target warhead, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said. The 2022 Missile Defense Review read: "Missile defense systems such as the GMD offer a visible measure of protection for the U.S. population while reassuring Allies and partners that the United States will not be coerced by threats to the homeland from states like North Korea and potentially Iran … Should deterrence fail, missile defenses can help mitigate damage to the homeland and help protect the U.S. population." The U.S. Missile Defense Agency said: "The midcourse phase begins when the enemy missile's booster burns out and it begins coasting in space toward its target. This phase can last as long as 20 minutes, allowing several opportunities to destroy the incoming ballistic missile outside the earth's atmosphere. Any debris remaining after the intercept will burn up as it enters the atmosphere." It remains to be seen whether the U.S. will further expand its missile defense system to cope with the threats posed by its nuclear adversaries to its homeland and overseas military bases. Related Articles Houthis Issue New Warning to Vessels Shipping US Weapons to IsraelPhotos Show US Launching Dark Eagle Hypersonic MissileUS Expands F-16 Threat Against North KoreaUS Warns Houthis it Will Increase Pressure After Hundreds of Airstrikes 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Simulates ICBM Attack by Nuclear-Armed North Korea
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States simulated an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) attack on its homeland by the nuclear-armed North Korea last week at a strategic base located in Alaska. The missile defense simulation was conducted during Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll's visit to Fort Greely. Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Army for further comment by email. The North Korean Embassy in China did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Why It Matters North Korea is one of the nine nations armed with nuclear weapons, and the country has an estimated 50 warheads. In October last year, it test-launched an ICBM that has a potential range of up to 9,320 miles, an expert said, capable of launching a nuclear attack on the U.S. mainland. The U.S. has established the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system to defend the homeland against North Korean ICBM attacks. A total of 64 interceptor silos were built at Fort Greely and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California for targeting incoming missiles. The Trump administration is pushing for the so-called "Iron Dome for America," a next-generation missile defense shield that will defend against the threat of attack by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, as well as other advanced aerial attacks. What To Know Driscoll visited two bases in Alaska, Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely, from April 23 to 24, according to photos released by the U.S. Army Public Affairs Office on its Flickr account. During his visit at Fort Greely, the secretary "received a briefing on the GMD missile crew tactics, techniques, and procedures utilized by the crews operating the GMD Fire Control System during a simulated ICBM attack against the United States," the U.S. Army revealed. John Plumb, who served as assistant secretary of defense for space policy from 2022 to 2024, said in a speech in April last year that the GMD is designed to protect the homeland, including Hawaii and Alaska, against ICBM threats from North Korea and potentially Iran. File photo: A test-fire of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile takes place at an undisclosed location in North Korea on March 24, 2022. File photo: A test-fire of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile takes place at an undisclosed location in North Korea on March 24, 2022. Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP However, the GMD is neither intended for, nor capable of, defeating what it called "the large and sophisticated ICBM, air-, or sea-launched ballistic missile threats" from both Russia and China, said the 2022 Missile Defense Review, which is the Pentagon's strategic document. Russia and China each possess hundreds of long-range ballistic missile launchers, while the North Korean ICBM force's operational status remains uncertain due to untrustworthy or limited public sources, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. According to a military observer on X, formerly Twitter, several photos show Driscoll inspecting what appears to be a Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) storage facility, where two interceptors were placed. The GBI is a missile equipped with a payload, also known as the kill vehicle, which will be released in space toward the warhead carried by an ICBM, using the kinetic force of the direct collision to destroy the target warhead, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said. What People Are Saying The 2022 Missile Defense Review read: "Missile defense systems such as the GMD offer a visible measure of protection for the U.S. population while reassuring Allies and partners that the United States will not be coerced by threats to the homeland from states like North Korea and potentially Iran … Should deterrence fail, missile defenses can help mitigate damage to the homeland and help protect the U.S. population." The U.S. Missile Defense Agency said: "The midcourse phase begins when the enemy missile's booster burns out and it begins coasting in space toward its target. This phase can last as long as 20 minutes, allowing several opportunities to destroy the incoming ballistic missile outside the earth's atmosphere. Any debris remaining after the intercept will burn up as it enters the atmosphere." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether the U.S. will further expand its missile defense system to cope with the threats posed by its nuclear adversaries to its homeland and overseas military bases.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boeing grows Alaska-based homeland missile defense silo count by 20
A Boeing-led team has finished building 20 new silos for the homeland missile defense system at Fort Greely, Alaska, growing the number of interceptors that can be emplaced there from 40 to 60. Boeing recently announced it had officially installed 'the first of 20 additional' silos for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system — now over 20 years old — designed to counter intercontinental ballistic missile threats from North Korea and Iran. This also included silo interface vaults, which are 'adjacent underground electronics rooms that maintain the readiness and effectiveness of interceptors,' according to a company statement. The silos are located at the fourth missile field at Fort Greely. There are 40 Ground-Based Interceptors, or GBIs, in place there, with another four in the ground at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The expansion effort initially began under President Donald Trump's first term and work continued through the Biden administration. The Pentagon and the Missile Defense Agency initiated reprogramming funding in fiscal 2017 to increase the number of ground-based interceptors in a new missile field at the Alaskan fort from 44 to 64. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, recently proposed a bill to expand the GMD system from 64 to 80 silos and consider a similar site on the East Coast of the continental U.S. as part of possible elements of President Trump's 'Golden Dome' missile defense architecture for the homeland. The president signed an executive order to establish the missile defense shield during his first few weeks in office. Boeing won a contract from the MDA to integrate, test and ensure the readiness of the GMD system in the summer of 2022. Boeing originally held the development and sustainment contract for the GMD system, which was set to expire in 2023, but MDA split the contract to encourage competition and thus drive innovation amid system modernization efforts. Subsequently, the MDA awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to integrate and manage weapon systems with the GMD system and a contract to Lockheed Martin to field, maintain and upgrade its battle command system. MDA will determine whether the silos will house additional GBIs, the Next-Generation Interceptor — which is currently in development to replace GBI — or a combination of both, a Boeing spokesperson said. The MDA awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin and its L3Harris-owned Aerojet Rocketdyne partner to build the Next-Generation Interceptor nearly a year prior to its deadline for choosing between it and a Northrop and RTX team.
