BMD – USS Arleigh Burke Association

Arleigh Burke Sailor selected MDAA Navy Missile Defender of the Year

FCA1 Julian Smith was selected as the US Navy Awardee for the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance 2024 Missile Defender of the Year

Riki Ellison, FCA1 Julian Smith, ADM James Kilby

This is a special night where we gather annually here in the National Capital Region to recognize the best of the best in the missile defense profession. On January 17th in Alexandria Virginia, the 15th annual Missile Defender of the Year awards ceremony took place. In the National Security area, 2024 has been the biggest and most consequential year for missile defense in our history.

United States Navy

Awardee: Fire Controlman Petty Officer 1st Class Julian Smith

Presented by Admiral James Kilby

Recognized for:

Fire Controlman Petty Officer 1st Class Julian Smith distinguished himself for this award by “Revolutionizing fleet tactics,” fundamentally changing the execution of BMD missions. By spearheading this tactical development, he played a critical role in the advancement of tactics, techniques, and procedures at the Task Force and numbered Fleet Commander level, showcasing performance far above what is expected of a first-class petty officer.
https://missiledefenseadvocacy.org/alert/2024-missile-defender-of-the-year/

Awardees receive one of Riki Ellison’s trademark MDAA footballs (if they can catch a throw from a linebacker). Riki was a national championship winning linebacker with USC, then winning three Super Bowls with the 49ers, before working with Dr Edward Teller in early National Missile Defense and later founding the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance.

Kevin J Brennan, PhD

Memories of a key contributor to AEGIS Ashore.

Kevin was a key contributor to the success of two major DoD programs, one of the quiet heroes that deliver effective capability to the warfighter, and that have made AEGIS BMD an enduring, operationally relevant capability.

1983 – 2024

1983

“Would it not be better to save lives than avenge them? …”

Strategic Defense Initiative
March 23, 1983

2024

U.S. Assets in Mediterranean Again Helped Defend Israel Against Iranian Missiles

Oct. 1, 2024 – C. Todd Lopez – DOD News

AEGIS BMD – SM-3 First Combat Use Coin Presented to Program Executive

Aegis BMD Program Executive, Mr. Paul Mann, was presented the Arleigh Burke commemorative coin on 30 Sept by CAPT (Ret) Rick Easton. The coin commemorates the ship’s April 2024 combat events in the Mediterranean Sea. The events marked the first use of Standard Missile 3 in combat to achieve successful intercepts of ballistic missiles in defense of our Allies.

The presentation was on the 20th anniversary of initial deployment of AEGIS BMD on 9-30-04.

Mr. Mann was a project engineer during successful preparation of the Arleigh Burke for Development and Operational Test.

AEGIS BMD – 20 Years on Patrol

Ballistic Missile Defense System Initial Defensive Operations commenced on September 30, 2004, in response to National Security Presidential Directive 23.

Two destroyers, USS Curtis Wilbur and USS John S. McCain were outfitted with the long range surveillance and track capability, supporting defense of the homeland by providing radar track data to the Ground-Based Midcourse system.

Later in October 2004, the initial deployment SM-3 Block I missiles were transferred to the US Navy.

Since then, AEGIS BMD, hosted in AEGIS Cruisers and Destroyers has been on patrol, with continuously advancing levels of combat system performance supporting more capable missiles: SM-3 Blocks I, IA, IB, and IIA, and SM-6.

AEGIS BMD – SM-3 Operational Use Coin

Success Has Many Parents

Failure has none

The ship was recently in the news with the first combat employment of AEGIS BMD – SM-3. The history of AEGIS BMD – SM-3 is as interesting and convoluted (maybe more) than the development of the ship.

Some of those without whom AEGIS BMD – SM-3 would not have been on station, and maybe not even the ship – BMD provides a fresh relevancy to the AEGIS fleet.

Ronald Reagan	George W. Bush	ADM Boorda	VADM Rempt	VADM Williams
RADM Meyer	Lt Gen Kadish	LTG O’Reilly	Don Mitchell	RADM (Sel) Grant

31st Successful Year!

Forward Deployed
Operationally Relevant
Capable

Providing current Ballistic Missile Defense (SM-3) and Air Defense (SM-6) capabilities to Sixth Fleet!

During 2022 USS Arleigh Burke:
– spent 157 days at sea in 2022 with an OPTEMPO of 49.9%
– advanced 69 Sailors to the next paygrade, the highest of any at-sea command in FDNF-E
– hosted visits from SECNAV and CNO
– conducted successful live-firing with SM-6
– completed a complex Selected Restricted Availability
– completed a successful INSURV at 31 years ~~old~~ young!

Relive the year here

20th Anniversary of FM-2

First sea-based BMD Intercept

On January 25, 2002, USS Lake Erie engaged and successfully intercepted a unitary ballistic missile target with a STANDARD Missile -3. This was the first successful sea-based BMD intercept and established the momentum for AEGIS BMD that continues until today.

Ballistic Missile Defense is a key mission for USS Arleigh Burke as a FDNF ship. During 2020, USS Arleigh Burke was upgraded with some of the latest ship technologies, including upgraded AEGIS BMD programs, in preparation for joining the forward deployed forces in Rota in 2021.

Read more here: A short history of AEGIS BMD