THAAD System Intercepts Target in Successful Missile Defense Flight Test Jun 29, 2010 – Missile Defense Agency
The Missile Defense Agency and U.S. Army soldiers of the 6th Air Defense
Artillery Brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas, successfully conducted an intercept
test for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense
element of the nation’s Ballistic Missile Defense System today. A
target missile was launched at approximately 9:32 p.m. Hawaii time, June 28
(3:32 a.m. EDT, June 29), and about five minutes later a THAAD interceptor
missile was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) off the
island of Kauai, Hawaii. Preliminary indications are that planned flight test
objectives were achieved.
The test involved the intercept of a short-range unitary target in the
endoatmosphere (inside the earth’s atmosphere). The target,
representing a short-range ballistic missile threat, was launched from an
at-sea mobile launch platform located in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii.
Upon acquiring and tracking the target, the THAAD system developed a fire
control solution and launched an interceptor missile, which acquired and
successfully intercepted the target missile. The intercept occurred at the
lowest altitude to date for the THAAD interceptor missile, which has the
capability to engage targets both inside and outside the earth’s
atmosphere.
Soldiers of the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade of Fort Bliss, Texas,
conducted launcher, fire control and radar operations, using tactics,
techniques, and procedures developed by the U.S. Army Air Defense School.
Soldiers operating the equipment were not aware of actual target launch time.
Also following the engagement, test personnel used the Simulation-Over-Live
Driver (SOLD) software system to inject multiple simulated threat scenarios
into the THAAD radar. This exercised THAAD’s capability to track and
engage a mass raid of enemy ballistic missiles.
Several missile defense assets and emerging technologies observed the launch
and gathered data for future analysis. Participants included the Command and
Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) system and elements of
the U.S. Army’s PATRIOT system. The PATRIOT system, located at PMRF,
conducted engagement coordination with THAAD and conducted upper tier debris
mitigation exercises during the intercept engagement.
This was the seventh successful intercept in seven attempts for the
operationally-configured THAAD system. Operational elements of the Ballistic
Missile Defense System are currently deployed, protecting the nation, our
allies and friends against limited ballistic missile attack. The system
continues to undergo development and testing to provide a robust layered
defense against ballistic missiles of all ranges in all phases of flight.
The THAAD Program is managed by the Missile Defense Agency in Washington,
D.C., and executed by the THAAD Project Office in Huntsville, Ala.
