Updated at 11:43 a.m., Monday, January 29, 2007
Missile intercept test successful at Pacific facility
Advertiser Staff
KAUA'I — The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Weapon System detected and intercepted an incoming ballistic missile target during a test firing last week at the Pacific Missile Range Facility.The BAE Systems Seeker test was conducted by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and examined the interceptor and its seeker detect on an incoming target missile in order to destroy it.
"This was the second time that the THAAD seeker performed in a successful intercept," said John Watkins, BAE Systems' THAAD program manager in Nashua, N.H.
The first successful intercept by the THAAD weapon system was at White Sands, N.M., in July 2006, during a seeker characterization test. The seeker met all required parameters, paving the way for additional intercept testing to continue through 2009.
THAAD is designed to defend U.S. and allied soldiers, military assets and population centers from the threat of ballistic missile attacks.
Lockheed Martin is THAAD's prime contractor and systems integrator.
