Speaking remotely due to weather-related travel delays, Ellison said recent developments in Washington had shifted momentum for the initiative. “There was a pretty big momentum shift in the White House on Golden Dome,” he said.
Ellison, a former NFL player with long-standing ties to Huntsville and the missile defence sector, highlighted Alabama’s role in national defence. “The culture of Alabama is world-level championship… going back to 1950 with Von Braun,” he noted.
He described the evolution of missile defence efforts in the United States, referencing the Strategic Defense Initiative in the 1980s and post-9/11 space-based projects. “Now here’s our third iteration where the President of the United States has put forward an executive order that enables policy to do this,” Ellison said.
In his closing remarks, Ellison said the project represents a shift in U.S. military posture. “We’re on the verge… shifting warfare to dominance by the United States of America,” he said.
Ellison called for cultural change within missile defence institutions and greater collaboration. “You’re going to have to change culture at MDA, change culture, and how we’ve done,” he said, describing the initiative as “one of the most exciting projects in mankind.”
He clarified that his remarks reflected his personal views. “I don’t represent MDA, I don’t represent the president. You’re just hearing from me. Nobody else,” he said.
MDAA is a non-partisan, membership-based organisation focused on advocating for the development and deployment of missile defence systems to protect the United States, its military forces, and its allies. It does not support any specific system, technology, or contractor.
Source: MDAA.
