History and Purpose
The United States Army Corps of Engineers formally organized Huntsville Division in October 1967 to support the Army’s Sentinel Safeguard Ballistic Missile System. A dedicated single purpose USACE organization was required because of the size, multiple locations across the United States and technical complexity. The Huntsville location was chosen because it was the home of the Army’s first missile defense systems.
In 1998, the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System Program Manager, then Brig. Gen. Willie Nance, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Director of Military Programs, Maj. Gen. Milton Hunter, signed a charter formally linking the National Missile Defense Joint Project Office and USACE as partners.
USACE Missile Defense Mandatory Center of Expertise, MD MCX, Engineering Regulation 1110-345-911
The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville's Missile Defense MCX provides worldwide technical expertise to deliver the highest quality missile defense facilities and infrastructure for the Department of War, federal agencies and foreign governments, in partnership with other USACE commands. The MD MCX is the enterprise mandatory center of expertise and standardization for the Missile Defense System’s operational, testing and expeditionary projects.
Missile Defense MCX supports stakeholders and responsible USACE geographic districts by providing technical services in development and rehabilitation of tactical and non-tactical facilities as well as infrastructure to include:
• Mission control facilities
• Radar facilities and radar support facilities
• Launch facilities
• Launch control facilities
• Mission support facilities
• Power plants, including shielded power plants and shielded backup power generators
• Missile assembly facilities
• Communication facilities
• In-flight interceptor communication system data terminal facilities
• Building system work
• Ground-based, mid-course defense infrastructure and facilities
• Missile range facilities
• High-altitude, electromagnetic pulse engineering
• Facilities explosive safety engineering
• Specialized missile defense facilities
• MDS facilities commissioning
• Risk management associated with facilities impacts to mission delivery
Technical Capabilities and Services Provided
Design phase services:
• Provide technical expertise for MDS-unique components of design that support the executing District to ensure project inclusion or verification of MDS-unique design criteria and compliance with UFC and all other applicable MDS-unique guidance.
• Provide verification to the Chief of Engineering function at the executing GD prior to advertisement and at final design that the project has been reviewed for inclusion of all MDS-unique technical requirements. •Provide a technical review and coordinate with the project resource sponsor regarding requests for waivers and exemptions to UFC. Provide a recommendation to HQUSACE Engineering and Construction Directorate regarding approval of the request for a waiver or exemption.
• Provide project-specific services that apply to features and processes materially impacting missile defense systems or subsystems to the GD as a required attachment to the architect-engineer (A-E) statement of work and request for proposal.
• Provide a technical review of missile defense minor construction and repair projects with an estimated design and construction cost greater than $1 million.
Construction phase services:
• Provide the executing GD with recommended staffing, technical support, construction management, and commissioning support requirements. These requirements will be included in the project-specific Project Management Plan (PMP) or as defined in a USACE EPgMP.
• Provide construction submittal reviews according to the project-specific QMP and within established timelines.
• Provide a post-construction award assistance team that visits the site at key milestone dates, as coordinated with the executing GD, to ensure oversight of MDS-unique features. These teams will provide written documentation of the visit and any concerns and recommendations for improved quality management.
• Participate in the governance process for designated MDS Mega projects or program (ECB 2023-11). Participate in HQUSACE design and construction evaluations as required.
• Participate on change management boards during construction.
Missile Defense Division Points of Contact:
- Brandon Talbot, Branch Chief, brandon.l.talbot@usace.army.mil, (256) 316-9292
- Bret Styers, Sr Program Manager, bret.a.styers@usace.army.mil, (938)-900-7451
- Derek Beck, Sr Program Engineer, derek.a.beck@usace.army.mil, (256) 895-1762
Download the Missile Defense Mandatory Center of Expertise fact sheet (PDF) HERE.