Pictured LtoR: Colonel Matthew Wallace ; Stan Thomas ; Dan Kelly ; Tyler Evans ; Angelique Rinaldi ; Patrick Gavin ; and Jim Kuzma “With the opening of this innovative facility, we are building on our expertise as a premier launch vehicle provider for missile defense testing,” said Dan Kelly, who will serve as interim general manager of Aerojet Rocketdyne Coleman Aerospace. “We are excited to officially establish our Space Coast presence today, marking the culmination of years of collaboration that brought this facility and its needed capabilities to fruition,” said Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and President Eileen Drake.
Category: Strategic Defense Initiative
Keel Laid for USS Frank E. Petersen
The keel of future guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr. was ceremoniously laid Feb. 21 at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard. Although official construction of DDG 121 began April 2016, the keel laying symbolically recognizes the ceremonial beginning of the ship.
McCain slams China for ‘bullying’ Korea over THAAD
US Senator John McCain slammed China on Thursday for “bullying” South Korea for its decision to host the US THAAD missile defense system aimed at defending against North Korea, urging Beijing to use its “considerable influence” to rein in Pyongyang. McCain, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also said that Chinese bullying of the Asian ally is “unacceptable” and said he hopes the incoming administration of Donald Trump ensures US security commitments.
Trump team struggles for cohesion on tougher China policy
The incoming U.S. administration’s tough talk against China has set the stage for showdowns on everything from security to trade and cyberspace, but contradictory signals are sowing uncertainty over how far President-elect Donald Trump is prepared to go in confronting Beijing. Highlighting the contested South China Sea as a potential flashpoint, Trump’s Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson threw out an explosive challenge to Beijing on Wednesday by calling for it be denied access to artificial islands it is building in the strategic waterway.
The Latest: Putin says nuke missiles can pierce any defense
Speaking at Friday’s end-of-year news conference, Putin said Russia had to develop the capability after the U.S. in 2001 opted out of a Cold War-era treaty banning missile defense systems. He argued that the modernization of Russian nuclear forces is in line with existing arms control agreements, including the New Start Treaty with the United States.
Trump: Beef up U.S. nuke clout
President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday on Twitter that the United States should greatly “expand its nuclear capability,” appearing to embrace an end to decades of bipartisan presidential efforts to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. defenses and strategy. Trump’s midafternoon post may have been a response to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who in a speech earlier Thursday called for continued improvement of his country’s nuclear abilities so it can “reliably penetrate any existing and prospective missile defense systems.”