DVIDS - News - Missile Defense Agency Chief Discusses Technology, Education, Mission During Virtual SGL

The distinguished Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) alumnus and current Director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Vice-Adm. Jon A. Hill, spoke during the Secretary's final series of the Navy Guest Lecture (SGL), April 13th.

Hill spoke about the MDA and its role in overseeing the agency's mission to develop, deploy and maintain layered capabilities to defend the United States, deployed forces, allies and friends against missile strikes at all stages of flight. As a graduate of the NPS Applied Physics and Ordnance Engineering curriculum, Hill emphasized the role of the evolving threat in the continued improvement of the system.

"You have to have credible missile defense to be a credible missile deterrent," Hill explained. “If you look at the evolution of the threat, we are well equipped to survive and grow in the hypersonic missile defense space. We are working on integrating all of these different pieces into our defense systems because the enemy integrates their ballistic cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles and is trying to make me nervous. However, I'm not nervous because I believe we have the best defenses in the world. "

Throughout MDA's development and innovation, as well as working with partners and allies, Hill made it clear that the warfighter is at the forefront of his mind.

"I'll take care of the warfighter first," he said. “I'll make sure we produce and get things on the field. We will deploy skills that assess the threat, bring in technology, and work on hardcore developments so we can continue to support and defend the nation. "

As part of his efforts to take care of the Warfighter, Hill stated that the foundation of all defense systems, past, present, and future, is education. He quoted the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Adm. Michael M. Gilday, as he said, "Learning to be the ultimate enabler for warfare and the intellectual development of our seafarers is the most critical skill in warfare."

"[CNO] points to education as a fundamental aspect of who you are as a naval officer and what we will do as we progress in our careers because it just doesn't get any easier, ”said Hill. "The threat is constantly evolving."

After his prepared remarks, Hill spent some time answering questions from NPS students in the Meyer Scholar Program, named for the father of the retired Navy Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer. The aim of the Meyer Scholar program is to develop officers who are exceptionally well trained in the scientific and technical disciplines associated with Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD). The students asked Hill about the future of the MDA, the evolving threats, and how officers can technically be better prepared to perform missile defense roles.

James Kornowski, Lt. the US Navy, for example, asked about the greatest future challenge for the Missile Defense Agency and its mission.

Hill replied quickly, “It's the ever-evolving threat. Nothing is static. The threats that were present at the beginning of my career have evolved and evolved. "

Referring to the CNO NAVPLAN 2021, US Navy Cmdr. Doug Jones asked, "In your opinion, and from the MDA's perspective, what transformation is required within the Naval Education Enterprise to compete, deter, and win in the future?"

Hill commented on the complexities associated with this answer… “We need to know how these systems work so that we can use them appropriately. I think that is the key idea that will drive reforms in education because they are becoming more technical and connected and that means that they are also more challenging. "

Recognizing the role NPS played in his own career, Hill said that graduate education and research opportunities are paramount to DOD officials. From his own experience, it was not about the direct application of the physics concepts he had learned. Rather, it was about developing your own analytical mind and being able to solve complex problems.

To develop these skills, he said, "NPS is one of the most important institutions on the planet."

Watch Hill's full talk on the NPS YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSbmChs3fYY].

Recording date:	04/13/2021
Release Date:	04/29/2021 7:53 PM
Story ID:	395170
Place:	MONTEREY, CA, US

Web views:	1
Downloads:	0

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