Wed, Oct 31, 2007
THAAD Intercepts, Destroys Target Over Pacific
Chalk up another hit for Lockheed Martin's Terminal High
Altitude Area Defense missile system. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
reports THAAD successfully intercepted and destroyed a target
missile over the Pacific Ocean last week.
In the latest test, a US Navy ship off the coast of Hawaii
launched a target missile, similar to an Iraqi Scud. An Army
missile-tracking station detected the missile within 2.5 minutes,
according to Lockheed, and a THAAD was launched to intercept it --
which it appears to have done, outside the Earth's atmosphere.
"From all the data we've seen it looks like all of our goals
were met," said Tom McGrath, vice president and program manager for
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, of the test last
Friday.
In the works for two decades, the long-troubled THAAD is
designed specifically to defend against short to intermediate range
ballistic missiles. The system comprises a number of components to
identify, track and destroy inbound ballistic missile warheads.
THAAD is a "hit-to-kill" system. It carries no explosives, using
only kinetic energy from a direct impact to vaporize its
target.
Center for Defense Information analyst Philip Coyle, who is also
the former director of weapons testing at the Pentagon, says the
test shows Lockheed has made progress... but more sophisticated
tests are needed, including tracking more than one missile. Coyle
also notes the system radar must be able to discern between a
warhead and other debris.
McGrath told the Star-Telegram more challenging tests are
scheduled next year.
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