More than 1,900 US and allied personnel recently wrapped up a ballistic missile defense exercise that spanned across 11 countries in Europe and the Middle East. The 11-day exercise—cross-area of responsibility air and missile defense exercise, or CAMDEX—was created in response to the growing missile-based threat in the regions, according to a US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa release. From April 18 to April 29, more than for 40 US and foreign interagency organizations made use of all available ballistic missile defense measures, including US Army systems, AEGIS BMD, long-range radars, and space-based sensors. Passive defense, or the use of protective measures like warning systems, was practiced along with active defense, attack operations, and command and control. Missile defense “can’t be just about playing catch,” said USAFE-AFAFRICA boss Gen. Frank Gorenc, in the release.
The White House announced its United States Space Priorities Framework in a document released concurrently with Vice President Kamala Harris' first National Space Council meeting. Listed among five U.S. priorities is to “defend its national security interests from the growing scope and scale of space and counterspace threats.”