U.S. Plans Missile Interceptor Flight Test

A flight test for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense system is expected to take place later this month, but the test is not intended to attempt an intercept, Defense Daily reported (see GSN, July 2).

Test plans call for integrating a number of components for the first time, including the Orbital Sciences booster vehicle and the operational version of the exo-atmospheric kill vehicle. In addition, the test calls for using the final version of the interceptor’s software.

Integrated Flight Test-13C is “primarily a system test of command and control, battle management and communication elements,” according to a defense official (Ann Roosevelt, Defense Daily, Aug. 12).

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