Published:
Lockheed Martin-Developed Systems, Capabilities LED Ballistic Missile Defense Efforts in 2008
BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin-developed missile
defense system elements led global ballistic missile defense efforts in 2008
with five successful target intercepts, including two international
intercepts, and numerous next-generation milestones. With proven hit-to-kill
technologies and demonstrated reliability, Lockheed Martin has
firmly-positioned each phase of missile defense - boost, midcourse and
terminal - to support the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) layered
Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) System and allied nations' requirements in
2009 and beyond.
Lockheed Martin's unparalleled BMD hit-to-kill intercept record includes
16 successful Aegis BMD intercepts, five successful Terminal High Altitude
Area Defense (THAAD (TM)) intercepts and 16 successful Patriot Advanced
Capability-3 (PAC-3 (TM)) intercepts since 2001.
"Lockheed Martin-developed weapon system elements and critical
technologies continue to protect our great nation and its international allies
against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and other airborne
threats," said John Holly, Lockheed Martin vice president of Huntsville
Operations. "The Lockheed Martin team is working with the MDA to develop and
prove, through rigorous testing, next-generation systems that answer
challenges presented by the very real threats we face today and the even more
challenging threats we will face in the future."
Lockheed Martin's many operational systems and next-generation
capabilities have demonstrated consistent reliability and illustrate the
progress being made in support of a strong layered missile defense.
2008 Missile Defense Milestones:
ABL
-- In November, the MDA's Airborne Laser (ABL) team successfully fired the
High Energy Laser for the first time through the Lockheed Martin-developed
Beam Control/Fire Control System. In ground tests in the ABL aircraft at
Edwards Air Force Base, CA, the system focused and directed the beam through
the aircraft's conformal window into a range simulator. Further testing of the
boost-phase ABL system will culminate in an airborne intercept test against a
ballistic missile in 2009.
Aegis
-- In January, Lockheed Martin received a $40.4 million contract
modification to equip the Japanese JS Myoko with Aegis BMD capabilities. The
JS Myoko is the third of four Japanese destroyers scheduled to receive Aegis
BMD capabilities. The JS Kongo and JS Chokai are already at sea and
operational with Aegis BMD. Aegis BMD is the primary component of the sea-
based element ofthe United States' BMD System. The Aegis Weapon System, upon
which Aegis BMD is based, is the maritime weapon system of choice forthe
United States,Japan,South Korea,Norway,Spain andAustralia.
Aegis Open Architecture was installed on USS Bunker Hill as a key
component of the Navy's Cruiser Modernization Program. Using commercial
off-the-shelf computing hardware and open system software, the Aegis Open
Architecture provides easy integration of technology refreshes and capability
upgrades that will keep the technology leading-edge. This milestone in Aegis
Open Architecture is part of the development path to merge Aegis Open
Architecture and Aegis BMD in 2012, when the Aegis Modernization program
begins for the Navy's 62 Aegis-equipped destroyers.
The Aegis system's second successful terminal phase endo-atmospheric
intercept, in June, set the tone for the test and evaluation of the latest
version of Aegis BMD - Aegis BMD 3.6.1 - leading to full certification in
November. The new system will be installed in all 18 U.S. Navy Aegis BMD ships
by June 2009.
In a one-time emergency mission, Lockheed Martin modified the USS Lake
Erie's Aegis BMD Weapon System to successfully intercept an errant U.S.
satellite in the exo-atmosphere in February. The Aegis system prevented the
satellite from re-entering the Earth's atmosphere in an uncontrolled and
dangerous manner by guiding an interceptor from the MK 41 Vertical Launching
System to the terminal phase of intercept.
HAA
-- Earlier this year, Lockheed Martin's High Altitude Airship (HAA(TM))
program transferred from the MDA to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense
Command (USASMDC), located atHuntsville, AL. With this program transfer, the
USASMDC is continuing the development and demonstration of the HAA to align
with the USASMDC mission. The HAA effort is a spiral development program for a
family of long-endurance autonomous solar-electric, stratospheric airships
that is recoverable for reuse. The HAA technology is available now and ready
for integration and flight test. The first phase of HAA spiral development is
the High Altitude Long Endurance Demonstrator (HALE-D). The HALE-D will
demonstrate the feasibility of controlled high altitude lighter-than-air
flight while carrying a payload for a duration of two weeks. The HALE-D is
scheduled for flight test the summer of 2009. The HAA will integrate multiple
payloads to address multiple missions at a cost of 1 to 2 orders of magnitude
less than any other airborne platform.
MEADS
-- In January, Lockheed Martin was awarded a $66 million contract to
incorporate the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement Missile into the Medium
Extended Air Defense System (MEADS). PAC-3 will serve as the tri-national
program's baseline interceptor.
In February, MEADS completed its system Preliminary Design Review. The
MEADS international team is now preparing for the 2010 Critical Design Review.
MKV
-- Lockheed Martin successfully conducted a free-flight hover test of the
MDA's Multiple Kill Vehicle-L (MKV-L) December 2, the first of several tests
to prove readiness for flight testing aboard midcourse interceptors. Performed
at the National Hover Test Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, CA, the test
represented a major step forward for the earliest operational payload designed
to destroy multiple threat objects with a single missile defense interceptor.
Earlier in the year, Lockheed Martin successfully demonstrated engagement
management algorithms, tested a divert thruster and calibrated an infrared
sensor.
PAC-3 Missile
-- In September, the first international PAC-3 Missile flight test was
successfully performed by the Patriot Japan Self Defense Force at White Sands
Missile Range, NM. The Japanese PAC-3 Missile used hit-to-kill technologies to
successfully detect, track, intercept and destroy a tactical ballistic missile
target in a realistic battlefield environment.
The following month, Lockheed Martin supported a second international
PAC-3 Missile flight test with the Airmen of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe).
It was the first time a German PATRIOT launcher executed a PAC-3 Missile
launch. Both the Japanese and German systems flew with Patriot Configuration-3
upgrades.
Early in the year, Lockheed Martin was awarded contracts totaling $556
million from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command for hardware and
services associated with the combat-proven PAC-3 Missile program. The PAC-3
system has successfully intercepted 22 out of 25 targets since testing began
in the mid-1990s.
In December, Lockheed Martin received additional contracts totaling $774
million from the U.S. Army for the PAC-3 Missile program. These contracts
include fiscal year 2009 missile production for the U.S. Army as well as the
first sale of the PAC-3 Missile Segment to theUnited Arab Emirates.
SBIRS
-- In December, the first Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Highly
Elliptical Orbit (HEO-1) payload and ground system, built by a Lockheed Martin
team for the U.S. Air Force, was certified for operations by U.S. Strategic
Command. The formal certification completed the system development,
operational activation and certification process, demonstrating the capability
of the SBIRS HEO sensor and associated ground system to provide timely,
accurate missile warning data to the Warfighter. SBIRS is designed to provide
early warning of missile launches, and simultaneously support other missions
including missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness.
Last year the SBIRS team achieved key integration and test milestones on
the first geosynchronous orbit (GEO) spacecraft, including a comprehensive
acoustic and pyroshock test regimen that validated the overall satellite
design, quality of workmanship and survivability during space vehicle
launching and on-orbit operations. Thermal vacuum testing of the completed
GEO-1 space vehicle, which will validate its performance at temperature
extremes greater than those expected during on-orbit operations, is planned
for 2009 in preparation for delivery to the U.S. Air Force in fiscal year
2010.
Targets and Countermeasures
-- Under the MDA's Targets and Countermeasures Prime Contract, Lockheed
Martin successfully launched three target missiles in 2008 - one for the June
5 test of the sea-based Aegis BMD system, one for the June 25 test of the
THAAD system, and one for the November 19 test of the Japanese Aegis system.
Since its first prime contract mission in 2005, Lockheed Martin has achieved
13 successes in 14 missions. Including targets provided prior to the prime
contract, Lockheed Martin has achieved a 97 percent mission success rate, with
a total of 30 successes out of 31 missions since 1996. In 2008, Lockheed
Martin also validated the new "ship and shoot" approach, under which each
target vehicle will be fully-integrated prior to shipment to the test range,
and completed most of the flight hardware and integration for the first
mission of the next-generation Flexible Target Family.
THAAD
-- In May, the U.S. Army activated its first THAAD battery at Fort Bliss,
TX. In preparation for full-system fielding in 2009, the Alpha Battery/4th Air
Defense Artillery Regiment was unit-trained on THAAD equipment.
In June, THAAD achieved its first successful intercept of a separated
target in the mid endo-atmosphere. The separated target represented a new
target class over the unitary targets previously used, and the test
successfully demonstrated the system's ability to detect, track, discriminate,
and intercept against separated targets. THAAD has achieved nine for nine
successful flight tests since 2005.
Lockheed Martin plays a critical role in the nation's layered air and
missile defense system being used today. In addition to operational defenses,
Lockheed Martin provides the backbone systems that integrate the sensors,
command and control, and weapon system elements of the ballistic missile
defense system. The corporation also is focused on next-generation
capabilities and provides targets and other methods to test system elements.
Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the
development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the
first operational hit-to-kill missile defense system. It also has considerable
experience in missile design and production, infrared seekers, command and
control/battle management, and communications, precision pointing and tracking
optics, and radar and signal processing. The company makes significant
contributions to major U.S. missile defense systems and participates in
several global missile defense partnerships.
Headquartered inBethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security
company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged
in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment
of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation
reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.
For additional information, visit our Web site:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com
SOURCE Lockheed Martin
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