Three Kratos BMD Targets Launched Near Simultaneously, Acquired and Tracked by Two Aegis BMD Destroyers.
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Sailors aboard the USS CARNEY (DDG-64), USS GONZALEZ (DDG-66) and USS BARRY (DDG-52) successfully completed a flight test on February 24, 2015 involving the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) weapon system, stated MDA in a news release. Kratos and its industry partners supported the test.
All three of the successful short-range, separating ballistic missile targets included Kratos’ Oriole solid propellant rocket motor and motor and payload hardware designed and produced byKratos. Kratos personnel participated in mission planning, payload assembly, testing, and target vehicle build-up and launch operations in support of the successful mission. Kratos is a leading provider of products, solutions, and services supporting ballistic missile defense, hypersonic, Aegis, sounding rocket, directed energy, electromagnetic railgun and other national security and scientific programs. MDA added that three short-range ballistic missile targets were launched near simultaneously from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia. Two Aegis BMD destroyers acquired and tracked the targets, while another destroyer participated in associated operations. This was the first flight test to assess the ability of the Aegis BMD 4.0 weapon system to simulate engagements of a raid consisting of three short-range, separating ballistic missile targets. Several fire control, discrimination and engagement functions were successfully exercised. Aegis BMD is the naval component of the MDA’s Ballistic Missile Defense System. The MDA will use the test results to improve and enhance the BMD System and support advancement of Phase 2 of the Phased Adaptive Approach for missile defense in Europe to provide protection of U.S. deployed forces, our European allies and partners. (…)
SEE FULL MEDIA RELEASE >>>http://ir.kratosdefense.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=901653
Photo credit : NASA, John Grant, ibid
