Description
The system consists of ground-based interceptor missiles and radar which would intercept incoming warheads in space. Boeing Defense, Space & Security is the Prime Contractor of the program, tasked to oversee and integrate systems from other major defense sub-contractors, such as Computer Sciences Corporation. The key systems of the GMD system are:
- Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) — Raytheon
- Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) — Orbital Sciences; for every interceptor missile there is a missile silo and a Silo Interface Vault (SIV), which is an underground electronics room adjacent to the silo.
- Battle Management Command, Control and Communications (BMC3) — Northrop Grumman
- Ground Based Radars (GBR) — Raytheon
- Upgraded Early Warning Radars (UEWR) (aka PAVE PAWS) — Raytheon
- Forward Based X-Band Radars (FBXB) such as the Sea based X band platform — Raytheon
Interceptor sites are at Fort Greely, Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California; a third site was planned for a proposed US missile defense complex in Poland, but was canceled in September 2009. A description of the program can be found in the Missile Defense Agency Budget Item Justification document, dated February 2007.
In December 2008, the US Missile Defense Agency awarded Boeing a $397.9 million contract to continue development of the program.
Read more about this topic: Ground-Based Midcourse Defense
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