Guidance systems improve missile accuracy by improving its probability of guidance pg. Washington lockheed martin, which builds the terminal high altitude area defense weapon system for the u. The seeker allows terminal homing and aim point selection. The same year thaad destroyed target, imitating the scud ballistic missile. Thaad is able to intercept incoming missiles both inside and just outside of the earths atmosphere at a range of. Thaad operates in a unique battle space intercepting both endo and exoatmospheric shorttointermediate range ballistic missiles. Lmt built terminal high altitude area defense system successfully intercepted a target today in a missile defense test led by the u. This flight test was thaads seventh intercept to date and proved the systems ability to intercept a unitary target in the low endoatmosphere. The 2021 budget submission represents an inflection point for missile defense programs, the relationship between active defenses and other forms of missile defeat, and the institutional makeup of the missile defense enterprise this is the first trump administration budget submission to make major programmatic changes to missile defense, but these changes carry uncertainty about the future. Lockheed has proposed creating a thaader system, with an improved seeker and a twostage rocket, giving the interceptors three times the range. Lockheed martin has awarded bae systems a contract of undisclosed value to develop a new generation of infrared ir seekers for the terminal high. Bae nabs nextgen seeker design work for us armys missile.
Terminal high altitude area defense the terminal high altitude area defense thaad element provides the ballistic missile defense system bmds with a globallytransportable, rapidlydeployable capability to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles inside or outside the atmosphere during their final, or terminal, phase of flight. Army the thaad system, located at pacific spaceport complex alaska in kodiak, alaska, detected, tracked and. The terminal high altitude area defense thaad weapon system is a critical element of the nations ballistic missile defense system, providing a transportable, rapidly deployable groundbased regional missile defense capability to intercept and destroy short, medium, and intermediaterange ballistic missiles in the terminal or final phase of flight. The company has been developing and producing missile defense seeker technology for more than four decades, and has delivered more than 500 thaad seekers to date. Developing advanced seekers for ballistic missile defense. These guidance technologies can generally be divided up into a number of categories, with the broadest categories being. The thaad missile has an estimated range of 150200 km.
The system is designed to engage a wide range of theater ballistic missile threats at long ranges and high altitudes upperendo and exoatmospheric. Terminal high altitude area defense thaad program presented to. All views presented herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the u. This pulse story describes the missile defense program, known as thaad, and the electronic systems sector. Thaad is designed to intercept incoming missiles at higher altitudes and greater distances than existing systems. The company supported the first hittokill intercept of a ballistic missile target in 1984 and achieved two hittokill intercepts in 1999. Terminal high altitude area defense thaad fighters or uas launch longrange u. Ballistic missile defense guidance and control issues. Thaad theatre high altitude area defense missile system. In the renamed missile defense agency mda, it has been classi. Huntsville aerospace marketing association hama presented by. Bae systems to develop advanced ir seekers for thaad.
The trump administration released its 2021 budget request on february 10, 2020. The thaad system is a landbased missile defense system that includes a truckmounted launcher, a complement of interceptor missiles, an antpy2 tracking radar and an integrated fire. Thaad theatre high altitude area defense missile system army. The system has an operational range of around 125 miles and a missile travels at mach 8. Bae systems thaad seekers are assembled, integrated, and tested at the companys facilities in nashua, new hampshire and endicott, new york. Encapsulated in the thaad seeker assembly is an intricate telescope and infrared camera that currently uses a singlecolor spectral band analog focal plane array to seek out the heat signature of a designated target and provides those images to a mission computer that keeps the missile on. Terminal high altitude area defense missile defense agency.
Terminal high altitude area defense thaad lockheed martin. Thaadlike high altitude theater missile defense science. Thaad uses a onestage hittokill interceptor to destroy incoming ballistic missile targets. The hittokill pac3 missile is the worlds most advanced, capable and powerful terminal air defense missile. The terminal high altitude area defense thaad is a key element of the ballistic missile defense system bmds designed to defend u. Terminal high altitude area defense thaad is a transportable system that intercepts ballistic missiles inside or outside the atmosphere during their final, or terminal, phase of flight. With respect to missile defense and related programs, it makes the kind of significant programmatic changes one might expect in an administrations first or second year, rather than its fourth. Bae systems to build nextgen seeker for thaad missile defense systems. The thaad terminal formerly theatre highaltitude area defence missile system is an easily transportable defensive weapon system to protect against hostile incoming threats such as tactical and theatre ballistic missiles at ranges of 200km and altitudes of up to 150km. Download citation thaadlike high altitude theater missile defense. An infrared seeker is an option, though some sources have claimed that the missile can be fitted with a combined ccdir detector. Bae systems developing new advanced seeker for thaad missile. Terminal high altitude area defense thaad missile defenses in south korea.
Missile guidance refers to a variety of methods of guiding a missile or a guided bomb to its intended target. Area defense thaad theater missile defense system and making some educated. The sensor design work will improve the missile defense systems ability to neutralize more. Portions of the design work for the nextgeneration seeker technology will be conducted in huntsville, alabama, where the. Bae systems will design a new infrared seeker for thaad interceptors, and two companies are moving on in a major army aviation program.
The missile s target accuracy is a critical factor for its effectiveness. The first successful missile intercept was conducted in 1999. Thaad is a highly effective system for addressing ballistic missile threats. Defense thaad, and patriot advanced capability3 56 of 71 hittokill intercept attempts have been achieved for thaad, aegis bmd, and gmd test programs since 2001 groundbased midcourse defense. Thaad system intercepts target in major missile defense. Kodiak, alaska, july 11, 2017 prnewswire the lockheed martin nyse. The thaad system was one of the core ballistic missile defense organization bmdo tmd programs. The terminal high altitude area defense thaad element provides the ballistic missile defense system bmds with a globally transportable, rapidly deployable capability to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles inside or just outside the atmosphere during their final, or. Central command intend to use thaad to intercept short to intermediaterange ballistic missile irbm. A terminal high altitude area defense thaad interceptor guided by a bae systems infrared seeker directly hit and destroyed an incoming target during a test at the pacific missile. Elements terminal high altitude area defense thaad the terminal high altitude area defense thaad element provides the ballistic missile defense system bmds with a globallytransportable, rapidlydeployable capability to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles inside or outside the atmosphere during their final, or terminal, phase of flight.
The final layer of defense is the shortrange patriot pac3 missile. Bae to design, build seeker tech for lockheed thaad system. Perception gap in the thaad dispute carnegie endowment. Lockheed martin explains new thaad seeker buy defense daily. Terminal high altitude area defense thaad, formerly theater high altitude area defense, is an american antiballistic missile defense system designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediaterange ballistic missiles in their terminal phase descent or reentry by intercepting with a hittokill approach. Lockheed martin has awarded bae systems a contract to design and produce an infrared seeker technology for a weapon system used to defend against ballistic missile threats the next seeker for lockheeds terminal high altitude area defense platform will be designed to increase the performance and manufacturability of thaad to counter more threats, bae said tuesday.
Terminal high altitude area defense thaad, formerly theater high altitude area defense. Bae systems to build nextgen seeker for thaad missile. Lamb, pm missile defense agencythaad project office 9 july 2010 10t1078. The thaad missile seeker provides stabilised infrared imagery of the targeted warhead. Modern missiles represent an example of a highly integrated set of subsystems that all interact cooperatively to guide the missile to its target. Thaad was developed after the experience of iraqs scud missile attacks during.
The estimated cost for the thaad system, including. Terminal high altitude area defense thaad missile threat. Spikelrspikelr uses the same seeker guidance package as the spikemr. Thaad was developed to counter iraqs scud missile attacks during the gulf war in 1991. Thaad is an integral part of the mdas mission to field an integrated, layered, ballistic missile defense system. Missile defense agency with critical support provided by the u. Regional short and mediumrange ballistic missiles in exo or endoatmospheric. Army, has awarded bae systems a contract to design and manufacture a nextgeneration seeker for the systems interceptors, according to a bae announcement posted march 17. With respect to missile defense and related programs, it makes the kind of significant programmatic changes one might expect in an. Another usmade system, the thaad terminal high altitude area defense missile defense system that is designed to intercept ballistic missiles at high altitude is also a competitor for the s400 regarding some of its features, though not in terms of direct international sales. Missile defense agencythaad project office 9 july 2010 10t1078. Each missile weighs just over 1,980lbs and is 20 feet long.
Bae systems has delivered a total of 100 thaad seekers to date. Theatre high altitude area defense missile systems thaad. The key to intercepting moving targets is the missile seeker, and for all weather, daynight, and long. The pac3 missile is a quantum leap ahead of any other air defense missile when it comes to the ability to protect the warfighter in. Bae systems has been developing and producing seekers for missile defense since the 1970s. Bae systems infrared seeker guides thaad interceptor to. The thaad missile defense concept was proposed in 1987, with a formal. Ballistic missile defense intercept flight test record.
Lockheed martin, which builds the terminal high altitude area defense weapon system for the u. Pdf the 2016 decision to deploy terminal high altitude area defense thaad to. The missile carries no warhead, but relies on the kinetic energy of impact to destroy the incoming missile. Fiscal year 2017 removed the word limited from its guidance on missile defense. Bae systems contracted for new thaad missile seeker. The thaad weapon system performed an intercept using a remote launcher. For homing missiles, guidance commands are based on seeker information. A lockheed martin lmt on wednesday official further explained what prompted its new contract to bae systems for nextgeneration terminal high altitude area defense thaad infrared seekers. Bae already provides the seeker for the thaad system, which uses infrared imagery to guide the interceptors to threat targets, and the company has delivered more than 500 thaad seekers to date. Lockheed martin vice president for upper tier integrated air and missile already a subscriber or. Applied technology institute 349 berkshire drive riva, maryland 21140.
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