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| Science & Technology |
| Very successful THAAD radar test |
| 2006-05-15 |
| The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) radar built by Raytheon Company performed flawlessly in a flight test conducted by the Missile Defense Agency at the White Sands Missile Range today. The test successfully demonstrated the first fully-integrated radar, launcher, fire control and missile operations and engagement functions against a simulated target. The THAAD radar, developed by Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS), accomplished all test objectives, including communicating with the in-flight THAAD missile. Track and discrimination reports were successfully transmitted between the THAAD radar and fire control. Performance of the fire control software, jointly developed by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, was also completely successful. Lockheed Martin is the THAAD prime contractor and system integrator. "Once again we've proven our capabilities and demonstrated that the THAAD radar and fire control are mission-ready," said Pete Franklin, vice president of the Raytheon IDS Missile Defense Business Area. "We're committed to providing the warfighter with 'no doubt' mission assurance, ensuring that these components work the first time and every time." Raytheon's THAAD radar is a phased array, capable of search, threat detection, classification, discrimination and precision tracking at extremely long ranges. THAAD is a key element of the Missile Defense Agency's Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), providing deployable ground-based missile defense components that deepen, extend and complement the BMDS to any combatant commander to defeat ballistic missiles of short to intermediate range. THAAD's combination of high-altitude, long-range capability and hit-to-kill lethality enables it to effectively negate the effects of weapons of mass destruction over a wide area. |
| Posted by:3dc |
| #3 THAAD The THAAD battery will typically operate nine launch vehicles each carrying eight missiles, with two mobile tactical operations centers (TOCs) and a ground-based radar (GBR). Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) of the THAAD missile system, up to 40 missiles a year, is currently planned to occur around 2007. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-05-15 14:34 |
| #2 Get those things out to the theater, now. Plus, how can they handle a salvo, not just a single incoming; and what is their turn around time before the next missile detect? These are critical things. What is the total number of missiles a typical THAAD can handle with its basic load? |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-05-15 14:27 |
| #1 Deploy them post haste to Iraq and Israel. And don't sell any to those countries who insist on negotiating with Iran. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-05-15 14:23 |