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The
US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is accelerating developmental
efforts in an effort to complete the development and begin deployment
of more comprehensive missile defense systems, anticipating
the growing threat of global missile proliferation. In the past
two weeks, the Missile defense Agency performed three successful
intercepts involving an Aegis BMD ship and land-mobile THAAD
system, in parralel to a large scale distributed ground test,
involving all major ballistic missile defense systems. (More...)
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|  Yesterday,
an Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) weapon system performed
yesterday a complex, a first test of a simultaneous interception
of two ballistic missile targets using two Standard Missile-3
(SM-3) missiles.
Both SM-3 Block IA missiles were fired from the Aegis Guided
Missile Cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70). The test marked the 10th
and 11th  successful
intercepts for the Aegis BMD since tests began in 2002. The
target missiles were fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility
(PMRF) on Kauai, HI.
The test also involved a Japanese guided missile destroyer,
JS Kongo which provided detection, track and simulated engagement
of the ballistic missile targets using its newly-installed Aegis
BMD Weapon System. Kongo will be the first ship in Japan's fleet
to have a sea-based BMD capability. This destroyer is scheduled
to conduct Japan's first firing flight test in late 2007. The
AEGIS BMD system is managed jointly by the Missile defense Agency
and the US Navy. The system is developed by prime contractor
Lockheed Martin, while Raytheon provides the SPY-1 shipborne
radar and missiles and Boeing providing the 'hit-to-kill' exo-atmospheric
warhead, under subcontract to Raytheon.
Two weeks ago another missile defense system built by Lockheed
Martin was demonstrated a successful exo-atmospheric target
kill, during a test at the PMRF. According to Tom McGrath, program
manager and vice president for THAAD at Lockheed Martin, the
test demonstrates THAAD's unique capability to destroy tactical
ballistic missiles outside and inside the Earth's atmosphere.
More tests are scheduled at PMRF through 2009. Lockheed Martin
expects missile deliveries to begin in FY 09, to support the
first unit to be equipped with the missile. Since November 2005
the THAAD Weapon System conducted seven successful flight tests
including four tests involving the successful intercept of threat
representative targets. With the system's transition to PMRF
in 2007, THAAD performed four successful tests, including high
endo-atmospheric, low altitude, low endo-atmospheric and exo-atmospheric
intercept profiles.
These test firings are held in parallel to a comprehensive
distributed ground test involving all major ballistic missile
defense systems, including fielded sensors, command and control,
battle management and communications. Interceptor bases are
also integrated, responding to simulated alerts. Among the elements
taking part in the exercise are the Cobra Dane radar at Shemya,
Alaska, the Sea-based X-band radar located in the Pacific Ocean,
the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense fire control nodes at the
Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center in Colorado
Springs, Colo and Fort Greely, Alaska; and the two interceptor
missile sites at Fort Greely and Vandenberg AFB, Calif. Also
participating are U.S. Navy Aegis ships.
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