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>> Today Russia made public its new National Security Strategy, in which it expressed hope in building a partnership with the U.S., while criticizing our plans to build missile defense shields in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russia also criticized NATO, citing the international alliance as a security threat. (Voice of America)

>> The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance will hold a briefing to discuss new polling data regarding America’s response to U.S. missile defense and President Barack Obama’s recent missile defense statements and proposals for missile defense funding. The briefing will occur tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. at the National Press Club. (PRNewswire)

>> U.S. defense contractor Boeing is moving its missile defense headquarters from Arlington, Virginia, to Huntsville, Alabama, which bears the nickname “Rocket City.” Boeing will bring 50 jobs as it heads west.

Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce member Mike Ward said, “I think its reflected in what you see the Army do here, but what you also see with the missile defense agency locating most of its resources here…Anyone involved in missile defense from the corporate side is obviously paying attention to what the missile defense agency, and Army are doing here.” (WHNT.com)

>> A spacecraft called Space Tracking and Surveillance System Advanced Technology Risk Reduction mission launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base earlier this week, along with a spacecraft for the Missile Defense Agency. Launch director for the NASA’s Launch Services Program Chuck Dovale said, “With confirmation of the payload’s delivery into the correct orbit, the launch is a success,” said Chuck Dovale, launch director for the NASA’s Launch Services Program.” (Aero-News Network)

On Wednesday, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced that it completed testing a key propulsion system component for its Multiple Kill Vehicle-L (MKV-L) payload. (Source – PDF)
 
In a series of static, hot-fire tests at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, N.M., the divert thruster stem met performance requirements. From the press release:
 
“During an engagement with the enemy, this high-performance propulsion system maneuvers the carrier vehicle and its cargo of kill vehicles into the threat complex to intercept the targets. With tracking data from the Ballistic Missile Defense System and its own seeker, the carrier vehicle dispenses and guides the kill vehicles to destroy targets in the complex. This technology will negate more advanced countermeasures that could be aboard hostile ballistic missiles.”
 
The MKV-L is a force multiplier for land- and sea-based weapons of the integrated midcourse missile defense system. If an enemy launches a missile, an interceptor equipped with MKV-L would destroy the re-entry vehicle and other threat objects. The need to protect against ballistic missiles is paramount, and developing, testing, and deploying a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System is vital. Defense contractor Raytheon is also developing a separate multiple kill vehicle technology.