We reviewed the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) program to determine whether (1) planned testing would demonstrate operational effectiveness before a significant number of units are produced for deployment and (2) missile target resources are adequate to support testing plans. We are addressing this report to you at this time because of the ongoing Department of Defense (DOD) evaluation of the THAAD program and schedule following a succession of test intercept failures. The $17.9 billion THAAD is a ground-based weapon system being developed by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) and the Army to defeat theater ballistic missiles. It supports the national objective of protecting U.S. and allied deployed forces, population centers, and industrial facilities from theater missile attacks. The THAAD system consists of four major components: (1) truck-mounted launchers, (2) interceptors, (3) the radar system, and (4) the battle management/command, control, communication, computer, and intelligence (BM/C4I) system. The launcher is to provide rapid reload of interceptors. Each interceptor is to consist of a single stage booster and a kill vehicle that is designed to autonomously home on an enemy missile during the last phase of interceptor flight and destroy the missile by colliding with it, called 'hit-to-kill.' The radar is being designed to support the full range of surveillance, target tracking, and fire control functions and provide a communications link with THAAD interceptors in flight. The BM/C4I system is to manage and integrate all (THAAD) components and link the THAAD system to other missile defense systems to support an interoperable theater missile defense architecture.


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    Title :

    Ballistic Missile Defense: Improvements Needed in THAAD Acquisition Planning


    Publication date :

    1997


    Size :

    16 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English