The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said a successful Jan. 26 flight test of a three-stage ground-based interceptor (GBI) launched from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., marks the return to flight for the national ground-Based Missile Defense (GMD) system and lays the groundwork for future intercept flight tests.
Boeing [BA] has been as prime contractor since 2001 and works with industry partners Northrop Grumman [NOC], Orbital Sciences Corp. [ORB] and Raytheon [RTN].
The flight test–Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Control Test Vehicle (GM CTV)-01–is part of an extensive test series initiated after the Flight Test Ground-Based Interceptor (FTG)-06a failure in December 2010. GMD flight testing was halted in early 2011 after a guidance error resulted in the failed intercept.
The Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) flown during GM CTV-01 was modified based on findings from the FTG-06a Failure Review Board, MDA said in a statement. This test is the critical first step in returning GMD to successful intercept testing.
The test measured the EKV’s performance as it operated under stressful space conditions. Data from the test will be used to validate the EKV’s design. Engineering data will be used to improve confidence for future intercept missions.
No target missile was launched during the flight test. After fly-out maneuvers, the three-stage booster deployed the EKV to a designated point in space. After separating from the booster, the EKV executed a variety of pre-planned maneuvers to collect performance data in space.
Initial indications are that all components performed as designed during the test, the MDA statement said. Program officials will assess and evaluate system performance based upon telemetry and other data obtained during the test.
Greg Hyslop, vice president and general manager for Boeing Strategic Missile and Defense Systems, said: “(the) test signals the next step in GMD’s future capability and is the culmination of successful partnerships among government, military leaders and industry. Throughout our team effort to solve one of the toughest challenges facing the aerospace industry, GMD remained on alert and continues to defend the United States.”
Norm Tew, Boeing vice president and GMD program director, said, “Returning to flight has been the top priority for the GMD program. We have used industry and government’s combined expertise to solve a complex technical issue related to what the interceptor’s exoatmospheric kill vehicle (EKV) experiences in space.”
Raytheon provided the EKV, and Wes Kremer, vice president of Air and Missile Defense Systems at Raytheon, said: the test “allowed us to challenge the EKV in a series of realistic outer-space environments, which gives us a broad range of data prior to moving toward an intercept scenario.”
Aerojet [GY] provided the EKV’s Divert and Attitude Control System (DACS) that made the critical trajectory adjustments to satisfy the mission objectives.
Michael Bright, Aerojet’s vice president of Missile Defense and Strategic Systems, said: “Aerojet has supported the Missile Defense Agency in performing critical design enhancements and conducting extensive ground testing in support of this mission. This test demonstrated the compatibility of the DACS with the rest of the modified EKV and moves us toward the next intercept test.”
Northrop Grumman’s command launch equipment (CLE) software effectively launched the interceptor. The software controls the interceptor on the ground, computes the detailed intercept trajectory and provides it to the interceptor, and at the appropriate time commands the interceptor’s ignition and launch.
“The effectiveness of our fire control products were proven again in this latest test, continuing our record of meeting all test objectives,” said Steve Owens, GMD operating unit director for Northrop Grumman and deputy program director for the Boeing/Northrop Grumman GMD team.
Northrop Grumman is responsible for designing and deploying the GMD fire control products, which include the Fire Control System, In-Flight Interceptor Communications System Data Terminal, Communications Network Equipment, Network System Manager and CLE software.