The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully conducted a static fire test of the propulsion system for its new strategic target.
That two-stage launch vehicle, or LV-2, is part of the MDA Flexible Target Family and will be used to test the Ballistic Missile Defense System later this year.
As a cost reduction initiative, the Agency integrated former Navy Trident Missile C4 rocket motors into its new LV-2 design.
The test was conducted at China Lake Naval Warfare Center in Ridgecrest, Calif. The
first C4 rocket motor static test was conducted almost 26 years ago, and this was the first static test of a C4 motor since 1996. The C4 rocket motor was retired from Navy operational service in 2005.
The Flexible Target Family (FTF), developed by prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT] unit Space Systems Co., is composed of targets that emulate various degrees of ballistic missile threats with a broad range of performance characteristics and features in order to present target behaviors that can be tailored to test multiple Ballistic Missile Defense System capabilities.
The two-stage intermediate/long-range target (LV-2) uses Trident C4 Stage 1 and Stage 2 motors for the required trajectories, accommodating the desired capability for heavier payloads, longer ranges distances, higher velocities and variable launch capabilities.
The LV2 first flight is planned for late spring during a planned missile defense flight test.