VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., May
30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN)
upgraded Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle, or EKV, a kinetic-force
weapon that slams into its targets, destroyed an intercontinental
ballistic missile for the first time during a Missile Defense
Agency test of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system.
It was the tenth intercept for the GMD program, which is
designed to protect the U.S. against long-range ballistic missile
attacks by destroying incoming threats while they are still in
space, safely outside the Earth's atmosphere.
"This test keeps the United
States on track to increase its ground-based interceptor
inventory to 44 in 2017," said Dr. Taylor
W. Lawrence, president of Raytheon Missile Systems. "The
system is among our industry's most complex, and its advancement
ensures the protection of the U.S. and its allies."
The ICBM range target was launched from the Reagan Test site on
Kwajalein Atoll, and the interceptor was fired from Vandenberg Air
Force Base, California. After
receiving tracking and targeting data from sea and space-based
sensors, the EKV identified the threat, discriminated between the
target and countermeasures, maneuvered into the target's path and
destroyed it using "hit-to-kill" technology.
The testing was supported by Raytheon's sea-based X-band radar
(SBX) and AN/TPY-2 radar. Both play critical roles in supporting
the GMD system.
A world leader in kill vehicle design and production, Raytheon
is simultaneously managing four kill vehicle programs – the EKV,
Standard Missile-3 kinetic vehicle, Redesigned Kill Vehicle and
Multi-Object Kill Vehicle. The Raytheon kill vehicle family has a
combined record of more than 40 successful space intercepts.
About the EKV
Backed by decades of kill vehicle technology expertise, the
Raytheon-made EKV is designed to destroy incoming ballistic missile
threats by directly colliding with them, a concept often described
as "hit-to-kill."
- The EKV has an advanced, multi-color sensor used to detect and
discriminate incoming warheads from other objects.
- The EKV has its own propulsion, communications link,
discrimination algorithms, guidance and control system and
computers to support target selection and intercept.
- The EKV is deployed and operational today.
About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2016 sales of $24
billion and 63,000 employees, is a technology and innovation
leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity
solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 95 years, Raytheon
provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration,
C5ITM products and services, sensing, effects, and
mission support for customers in more than 80
countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us
on Twitter.
www.raytheon.com
Media Contact
Amanda
Schildt
+1.571.305.3915
rmspr@raytheon.com
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SOURCE Raytheon Company