The Missile Defense Agency within the Department of Defense is developing and testingcomponents of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) element, which is intended todefeat long-range ballistic missile threats in the midcourse phase of flight.1 When fullydeployed, the GMD element will include (1) space- and ground-based sensors to provideearly warning and tracking of missile launches; (2) ground-based radars to identify andrefine the tracks of threatening reentry vehicles and associated objects; (3) ground-basedinterceptors, each consisting of a three-stage booster and exoatmospheric kill vehicle, todestroy enemy missiles through hit-to-kill impacts outside the atmosphere; and (4) firecontrol nodes for battle management and execution of the GMD mission. Figure 1 depictsthe principal components of the GMD element.
Information on Cancelled Integrated Flight Test-16 for Ground-based Midcourse Defense Element
2003
8 pages
Report
No indication
English
Military Operations, Strategy, & Tactics , Missile Technology , Air force , Air force facilities , Ballistic missiles , Battle management , Defense systems , Department of defense , Early warning systems , Ground based , Intercontinental ballistic missiles , Intermediate range ballistic missiles , Kill vehicles , Midcourse defense , Radar , Reentry vehicles , Test beds , Theater ballistic missiles , Weapons