Financial and technical constraints have led the U.S. Missile Defense Agency to delay the space-based component of its boost-phase interceptor program, Aerospace Daily reported today (see GSN, Jan. 22).

That program, the Kinetic Energy Interceptor Program, has pursued two parallel tracks to develop technologies to shoot down enemy missiles in their boost phase.  Technical difficulties, however, have caused the agency to slow the space-based track while maintaining the ground- and sea-based effort.

“There are some major technology challenges that we need to deal with before we can begin developing a space-based capability that we could affordably deploy in operationally meaningful numbers,” Defense Department officials said.

In addition to the technical problems, the program is suffering budgetary cuts as House and Senate authorizers have cut $150 million and $70 million respectively from the agency’s $301 million request for the program for fiscal 2004 (see GSN, May 8).

Agency officials had hoped to begin the development phase of the space-based test bed in fiscal 2005 but now estimate that the phase will be delayed for two years.

The Pentagon originally planned to prevent a single contractor from receiving both the space- and ground-based development contracts, but now that the two tracks are no longer proceeding in parallel, the ban has been lifted.

Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman received eight-month, $10 million concept design contracts in March for the ground-based component, and the agency expects to select a single contractor in the beginning of fiscal 2004 to develop the system (Marc Selinger, Aerospace Daily, July 3).

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