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Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Radar Successful In Missile Defense Test
Tewksbury MA (SPX) Jul 01, 2008 The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) radar built by Raytheon performed successfully in the latest integrated flight test conducted by the Missile Defense Agency and THAAD prime contractor, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii June 25. The test marked a significant "first" for the THAAD program: the intercept of a "mid-endoatmospheric" (inside Earth's atmosphere), separating target over the Pacific Ocean. The THAAD radar played a critical role in discriminating the lethal object within the threat complex, leading to the subsequent successful intercept of the lethal object. The test demonstrated fully integrated radar, launcher, fire control, missile, and engagement functions of the THAAD weapon system. "This latest test of THAAD's missile defense capability is the most challenging thus far, and once again, Raytheon's components have performed exceptionally," said Pete Franklin, vice president, National and Theater Security Programs for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "The success underscores THAAD's ability to meet the missile defense mission and provide a reliable and affordable terminal missile defense capability for our nation." The THAAD radar, also known as the AN/TPY-2, achieved all test objectives: acquiring the target complex, discriminating the lethal object, providing track and discrimination data to the fire control and communicating with the in-flight THAAD interceptor. The fire control software, jointly developed by Raytheon and THAAD prime contractor Lockheed Martin, also performed successfully, engaging the target complex and initializing the launch sequence. Raytheon's AN/TPY-2 radar provides a common capability, enabling both a terminal mode in support of the THAAD weapon system and a forward-based mode enabling MDA's Ballistic Missile Defense System. The AN/TPY-2 is a phased array, capable of search, threat detection, classification, discrimination and precision tracking at extremely long ranges. THAAD is a key element of the Missile Defense Agency's Ballistic Missile Defense System, providing to any combatant commander deployable ground-based missile defense components that deepen, extend and complement the system to defeat ballistic missiles of short-to-intermediate range. THAAD's combination of high-altitude, long-range capability and hit-to-kill lethality enables it to effectively negate the effects of weapons of mass destruction over a wide area. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Raytheon Participates In Key Satellite Payload Trade Study
El Segundo CA (SPX) Jul 01, 2008Raytheon has successfully completed a key satellite payload trade study with Northrop Grumman, the prime contractor for the Space Tracking and Surveillance System. |
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