WASHINGTON, April 6 (UPI) -- U.S. Missile Defense Agency officials will be celebrating this weekend over the latest test success in their Terminal High Altitude Area defense, or THAAD, program.
Lt. Gen. Henry "Trey" Obering, the director of the Missile Defense Agency, Friday gave details of the latest THAAD intercept test Thursday evening at the Pacific Missile Range Facility off the island of Kauai in Hawaii.
"This test involved the successful intercept of a 'mid endo-atmospheric' (inside earth's atmosphere) unitary (non-separating) target representing a 'SCUD'-type ballistic missile launched from a mobile platform positioned off Kauai in the Pacific Ocean. The interceptor was launched from the THAAD launch complex at the Pacific Missile Range Facility," the MDA said in a statement.
The agency noted that the test marked the latest in a long series of test successes for the THAAD program. " This was the 26th successful 'hit-to-kill' intercept for elements of the Ballistic Missile Defense System since 2001, and the third successful THAAD intercept in the current program phase," it said.
"The target missile was launched at approximately 8:42 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time, April 5 (2:42 a.m. EDT April 6). Approximately three minutes later the THAAD interceptor missile was launched and approximately two minutes later the intercept occurred over the Pacific Ocean," the MDA said.
The test marked a significant advance in the program as it was "the first THAAD interceptor mission that was considered a Ballistic Missile Defense System test, meaning that more than one element of the BMDS participated in the test," the agency said.
"One of the objectives of this test was demonstrating successful beyond-line-of-sight communications with a radar aboard a U.S. Navy Aegis ship, as well as communications links with the Command, Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) system and the U.S. Air Force Space-Based Infrared Sensors (SBIRS) system," it said.
"Other flight test objectives included demonstrating successful missile launch from the PMRF launch site; interceptor "kill vehicle" seeker characterization (target identification), object discrimination and intercept of a non-separating liquid-fueled target; and collection of data including target aim point (location where interceptor strikes the target), ground equipment and radar tracking/target discrimination and hit assessment algorithms, and evaluation of the missile launching procedures and equipment," the MDA said.
"While post-test analysis will take place over several weeks, initial indications are that the test objectives were achieved," it said.
The MDA noted that "the first successful THAAD intercept test in the current program took place on July 12, 2006, at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., and the second successful THAAD intercept took place on January 27, 2007 at PMRF."
"A test on Sept. 13, 2006 at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., was not completed due to a failure of the target missile after it was launched. The THAAD interceptor was not launched," the agency said.
The MDA described THAAD as "the first weapon system with both endo-atmospheric (inside the atmosphere) and exo-atmospheric (outside the atmosphere) capability developed specifically to defend against short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles."
"The THAAD system will provide high-altitude missile defense over a larger area than the complementary Patriot system, and, like the Patriot, intercepts a ballistic missile target in the "terminal" phase of flight-the final minute or so when the hostile missile falls toward the earth at the end of its flight. THAAD uses "hit to kill" technology, using only the force of a direct impact with the target to destroy it," it said.
"The system is proving its precision and lethal effect throughout our skies, considering THAAD's successes in both the high- and now mid-atmospheric proving grounds," Tom McGrath, program manager and vice president-THAAD at Lockheed Martin said in a statement. "By linking with another element of the BMDS during this flight test, our nation's vision of a layered missile defense becomes one step closer to reality."
