NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense
No. 127-02
(703)697-5131(media)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2002
(703)697-5737(public/industry)
MISSILE INTERCEPT TEST SUCCESSFUL
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced today it has successfully completed a test involving a planned intercept of
an intercontinental ballistic missile target. The test took place over the central Pacific Ocean. A modified Minuteman
intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) target vehicle was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., at 9:11
p.m. EST, and a prototype interceptor was launched approximately 20 minutes later and 4,800 miles away from the Ronald
Reagan Missile Site, Kwajalein Atoll, in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The intercept took place approximately 10
minutes after the interceptor was launched, at an altitude in excess of 140 miles above the earth and during the
midcourse phase of the target warhead's flight. This was the fourth successful intercept for the Ground-based Midcourse
Defense (GMD) Segment, formerly known as National Missile Defense.
The test successfully demonstrated exoatmospheric kill vehicle (EKV) flight performance and "hit to kill" technology to
intercept and destroy a long-range ballistic missile target. In addition to the EKV locating, tracking, and intercepting
the target resulting in its destruction using only the body-to-body impact, this test also demonstrated the ability of
system elements to work together as an integrated system. The test involved the successful integrated operation of space
and ground-based sensors and radars, as well as the Battle Management, Command Control and Communications (BMC3)
function to detect the launch of the target missile, cue an early warning radar to provide more detailed target location
data; and integration of a prototype X-Band radar (based at Kwajalein) to provide precise target data to the EKV, which
received the target updates from the In-Flight Interceptor Communications Systems (IFICS) at Kwajalein.
The EKV separated from its rocket booster more than 1,400 miles from the target warhead. After separation, it used its
on-board infrared and visual sensors, augmented with the X-Band radar data provided by BMC3 via the In-flight
Interceptor Communications System, to locate and track the target. Sensors aboard the EKV also successfully selected the
target instead of three balloon decoys. Only system-generated data was used for the intercept after the EKV separated
from its booster rocket. A C-band transponder aboard the target warhead did not provide any tracking or targeting
information to the interceptor after the interceptor was launched.
Tonight's test is a major step in our aggressive developmental test program, and is the fourth successful intercept in
six attempts. We will continue to pursue this testing regime to achieve a layered approach to missile defense, using
different architectures to deter the growing threat of ballistic missiles carrying weapons of mass destruction.
Over the next several weeks, government and industry program officials will conduct an extensive analysis of the data
received during the flight test to determine whether anomalies or malfunctions occurred during the test, evaluate system
performance and determine whether or not all flight test objectives were met. Since the system is in the developmental
phase of design and testing, performance of individual elements and the overall system integration was as important as
the actual intercept.
News media points of contact are Cheryl Irwin, DoD Public Affairs, at 703-697-5331, and Lt. Col. Rick Lehner, MDA
External Affairs, at 703-697-8997.