Successful Missile Defense Intercept Test Takes Place at White
Missile Defense Agency Director Lieutenant General Henry “Trey” Obering III, announced that a seeker characterization test for the Net-Centric Airborne Defense Element (NCADE) was successfully conducted today at approximately 11:07 a.m. EST at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), NM. Preliminary indications are that planned flight test objectives were achieved. This test involved the successful imaging at close range of a boosting Orion sounding rocket by an NCADE seeker equipped AIM-9X missile launched from an F-16 Aircraft. Although not unexpected, the subsequent intercept destroyed the target. A second AIM-9X launched during the test observed through its seeker the intercept of the target by the first and was also on a trajectory to intercept the target. The target missile was launched from WSMR.
The NCADE concept uses modified components of the existing AIM-9X and AIM-120 “AMRAAM” air-to-air missiles, combined with a new liquid propellant second stage to produce a missile capable of boost-phase intercepts. The proposed missile could be carried by manned fighters or unmanned aerial vehicles and could be used against all ranges of missiles in the boost phase in those cases where aircraft could penetrate to within about 100 miles of the launch site. NCADE is an air-launched weapon system designed to engage short- and medium-range ballistic missiles in the boost and ascent phase of flight. NCADE provides an interim or near-term solution to boost or ascent phase
threats.
The Ballistic Missile Defense System will be capable of providing a layered defense for the U.S. homeland, its deployed forces, friends and allies against ballistic missiles of all ranges in all phases of flight.
Last year, Raytheon teammate Aerojet successfully tested the NCADE second stage axial propulsion system, demonstrating the maturity of this new propulsion system. Future testing will involve the missile’s divert and attitude control system.
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