The US Army has revealed that the theatre high-altitude area defence (THAAD) system will be able to track and intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), an admission that signals a major increase in the Lockheed Martin system's known firepower.
The disclosure at the Space and Missile Defence 2004 conference also reveals THAAD to be the final layer of the US Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) strategy to defeat incoming ICBMs. THAAD has been listed previously as a weapon against short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
The MDA has adopted a layered defence strategy for ICBMs, with the future Boeing AL-1 airborne laser and the Northrop Grumman kinetic energy interceptor aimed at ICBMs in the boost and ascent phases. The ground-based mid-course defence system (GMD) is targeted at warheads cruising above the atmosphere. THAAD's new capability adds the final piece, at least in the short term, countering warheads during and after the re-entry phase of their trajectory.
Col Charles Dreissnack, THAAD project manager, says the ICBM capability is derived from the system's radar. It was designed with extra performance margin in mind, he adds, and tests so far are showing surprising performance level increases. The baseline THAAD programme is also moving forward. A first launch attempt is on track for the first quarter of fiscal 2005. The first two THAAD launches will serve only as missile check-out flights, not as intercept attempts. The first attempt to defeat a warhead will be staged later in 2005.
STEPHEN TRIMBLE / HUNTSVILLE
Source: Flight International