Kinetic energy weapons may be best way to intercept missiles

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Ascent phase is the segment of an intercontinental ballistic missile's trajectory after boosters have cut off, but before the payload has separated into warheads, decoys and countermeasures.

Midcourse phase is the longest portion of the trajectory, during which warheads coast through space before re-entering the atmosphere. Descent phase is the initial stage of re-entry, when contact with the upper atmosphere begins to separate warheads from lighter objects.

Terminal phase is the final, brief stage of the trajectory within the atmosphere immediately prior to detonation on target.

The Kinetic Energy Interceptor is a mobile system of agile, surface-launched missiles designed to intercept most types of ballistic missiles in the boost, ascent or early midcourse phases of their trajectory.

The program derives its name from the fact that the interceptor missiles use the force of impact -- pure kinetic energy -- to destroy their targets. It was begun in 2002 as a hedge against the possible failure of other approaches to boost-phase interception, and to cope with anticipated changes in the threat that would make midcourse discrimination of warheads more challenging.

The Kinetic Energy Interceptor is conceptually similar to a Patriot air defense battery, consisting of mobile launchers, interceptor missiles and a command unit. It initially would be carried by ground vehicles that can be delivered anywhere in the world within a few hours on C-17 cargo planes, but it is designed to also be deployed at sea.

The system's mobility was made possible by the fact that KEI is the first missile-defense program the United States has developed outside the constraints of the 1972 Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty. As a result, it is more flexible than earlier defensive systems, and can be quickly dispatched to the borders of hostile countries in periods of heightened tension. Proximity to the launch sites of ballistic missiles is essential if they are to be intercepted during the early phases of their trajectory.

Despite its superficial similarity to the Patriot, the KEI is unique in several ways that collectively make it much more capable than other missile-defense systems utilizing ground-based interceptors:

-- Its multistage interceptor missiles are faster than any other tactical missile used by the U.S. military, quickly accelerating to 8 kilometers per second so that the kill vehicles they carry have the speed necessary to destroy target missiles in the early phases of their trajectory.

-- Its command unit is able to receive and process sensor inputs from many different sensors elsewhere in the defensive network, including ground-based radars and satellites using infrared detection, eliminating the need to carry organic sensors with the KEI battery.

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(Part 9: Further advantages of kinetic energy weapons)

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(Loren B. Thompson is chief executive officer of the Lexington Institute, an Arlington, Va.-based think tank that supports democracy and the free market.)

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