Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance
The Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to building broad public support for the development and deployment of an effective missile defense system for the United States and enhancing missile defense partnerships with its allies. Founded in 2002, by Riki Ellison, the 501(c) non-profit participates in the advocacy and educational analysis of United States Government missile defense strategies and technologies. MDAA promotes technology and/or strategy capable of destroying missile warheads launched against the United States and its allies and partners. [1] The organization is based in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington D.C..
Founder
Riki Ellison, chairman and founder of MDAA, received a degree from the University of Southern California, including a certificate in defense and strategic studies, and has two decades of experience in missile defense advocacy, consultancy, and expertise. Ellison played nine seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Raiders. After winning two Rose Bowls and a national championship at USC, Ellison was selected in the 1983 NFL Draft by the 49ers, with whom he won three Super Bowl championships.
Activities
MDAA reports all relevant open source information pertaining to missile defense strategies, technologies, and tests. MDAA also actively advocates effective missile defense strategies to members of the United States Government. MDAA's website contains information on U.S. and allied missile defense systems, cooperative international missile defense efforts, and information on ballistic missile threats around the world for use by the public.
MDAA hosts a variety of missile defense related events around the world. It hosts an annual Missile Defender of the Year Award Ceremony in Alexandria each year, recognizing excellence among the U.S. missile defense operators from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and National Guard. The organization also holds annual Defender of the Year events with the Republic of Korea, NATO, the United Arab Emirates, Alaska, and at U.S. Northern Command/North American Aerospace Defense Command.
Since 2014, MDAA hosts regular roundtable discussions on missile defense issues in the U.S. Capitol. Topics have included missile defense of the U.S. homeland, and missiles defense radars and sensors, and missile defense from an military operations perspective. These events typically feature remarks from recently retired military leaders with missile defense expertise.
About missile defense
Missile defense systems track and destroy airborne ballistic missiles. Early detection technology confirms an airborne missile threat, calculates ideal intercept coordinates, and identifies decoy projectiles. An intercept missile is fired. The intercept missile utilizes tracking technology that maintains a path towards collision with the target. After tracking the missile target, the defense system destroys its target in flight. [2] Missile defense technology may be placed on ground, sea, air and space and is frequently located to deploy "ballistic missile defense system" (BMDS) strategies against nuclear missiles. [3]