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Defense Special Missile and Aerospace Center (DEFSMAC) Established, April 27, 1964

DEFSMAC Mission

Although little known to the public at large, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Special Missile and Aerospace Center (DEFSMAC) serves in the forefront of U.S. missile and space intelligence. The Center coordinates the collection of intelligence information on foreign missiles and satellites from the ground, from the sea, and from aerospace based upon intelligence requirements. The Center personnel then analyze the initial collection results and provide intelligence reporting based on the information.

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27 April 2026 0

Remembering RADM Wayne E. Meyer “Father of Aegis”

April 21, 1926 – September 1, 2009

The AEGIS Weapon System (AWS) is a centralized, automated, command-and-control (C2) and weapons control system that was designed as a total weapon system, from detection to kill. The heart of the system is the AN/SPY, an advanced, automatic detect and track, multi-function phased-array radar. This high-powered radar is able to perform search, track and missile guidance functions simultaneously, with a track capacity of more than 100 targets. The first Engineering Development Model (EDM-1) of the SPY-1 was installed in the test ship USS NORTON SOUND (AVM 1) in 1973.

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21 April 2026 0

How Pizza Orders Foreshadowed Military Operations

During the tumultuous times of Operation Desert Storm in the 1990s, military strategists found themselves engaged in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. In this theater of war, intelligence was the currency that could spell the difference between victory and defeat. Among the many innovative tactics employed during this conflict, one stands out as both unconventional and surprisingly effective: Pizza Intelligence, affectionately dubbed PIZINT.

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9 April 2026 1

USS Parche (SSN 683): The Silent Sentinel of the Cold War

Note the broom!

The USS Parche (SSN 683), a Sturgeon-class nuclear-powered submarine, stands as one of the most extraordinary vessels in the history of the U.S. Navy. Commissioned on August 17, 1974, at a time when the Cold War was in full swing, Parche’s role evolved from a fast attack submarine into a highly specialized platform for some of the most secretive and daring missions of underwater espionage. Known for its ability to gather critical intelligence deep beneath the ocean, the Parche became the Navy’s most decorated submarine, carrying out covert operations that were instrumental to national security.

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7 April 2026 1

NAVIFOR Commanders Summit Aligns Information Warfare Leaders to Strengthen Warfighting Readiness

Story by Joshua Rodriguez

Leaders from across the Information Warfare (IW) community convened at the Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) headquarters for a pivotal three-day Commanders’ Summit, held March 30-April 1. The summit focused on aligning strategic priorities, driving innovation, and continuing the generation of premier combat-ready IW forces for the fleet to increase warfighting readiness.

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6 April 2026 0

HALL of HONOR NOMINATION PACKAGE ICO CAPTAIN HOWARD C. EHRET (USN)

INTRODUCTION: Captain Howard C. Ehret (Howie) served in the United States Navy as a cryptologic professional from 1962 to 1992. He developed, honed, and assiduously applied his transformational leadership and unsurpassed technical cryptologic skills against the backdrop of the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and regional crises in the Middle East and the Atlantic too numerous to relate. His frame of reference was forward-deployed U.S. Naval forces operating “eyeball to eyeball” with the Soviets and other threats, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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3 April 2026 2