1. EKV/GMD
Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle/Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System
EKV/GMD
Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle/Ground-Based
Midcourse Defense System will protect against
attacks by intercepting long-range ballistic
missiles during their midcourse phase of flight.
Benefits Midcourse Defense wavebands to detect and against a limited ballistic
The Raytheon Exoatmospheric discriminate a target from missile attack. The GMD
g Destroys weapons of mass
Kill Vehicle (EKV) represents a other non-lethal objects; focal integrated system comprises
destruction with hit-to-kill
technology critical piece of the U.S. Missile plane arrays and a cryogenic the GBI; ground-based radars;
Defense Agency (MDA) Ballistic cooling assembly attached upgraded early warning radars;
g Counters threats in the Missile Defense System and to an optical telescope; battle management command,
midcourse phase of flight its Ground-Based Midcourse propulsion; communication control and communications;
g Provides target selection amid Defense (GMD) segment. The link; discrimination algorithms; space-based infrared satellite
the presence of multiple decoys GMD is designed to protect all guidance and control systems; system in a high elliptical orbit;
50 U.S. states against limited and computers to support and a second space-based
g Adds to a multilayered defense ballistic missile attacks by target selection and intercept infrared satellite system in low
intercepting long-range ballistic decisions in the final seconds elliptical orbit.
missiles during their midcourse of flight. The EKV is designed
Testing and Milestones
phase of flight, before their to withstand the rigors of space
In 1997 and 1998, successful EKV
warheads re-enter Earth’s flight while en route to an
sensor tests demonstrated the
atmosphere. The EKV is the incoming warhead, which is
on-board sensor’s performance
interceptor component of the destroyed by the EKV’s use of
discriminating a surrogate target
Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI). hit-to-kill kinetic energy.
from multiple decoys. In 1999,
The GBI provides protection
Background the program began intercept
against small-scale, long-range
In April 1998, the Ballistic tests. It achieved five successes
missile attacks by engaging
Missile Defense Organization, between 1999 and 2005. In
high-speed ballistic missile
now the MDA, awarded Boeing 2002, the President directed the
warheads in the midcourse or
Company a long-term contract Department of Defense to field
exoatmospheric phase of their
to coordinate the entire an initial set of missile defense
trajectories and destroys them
midcourse missile defense capabilities to begin operating
using the EKV’s hit-to-kill
effort. As the prime contractor, in 2004. Raytheon began delivery
kinetic force of impact.
Boeing is responsible for of EKV payloads in 2003, and
Hit-to-Kill Technology design, development, testing the first GBI carrying the EKV
The EKV consists of an and integration of the six GMD was emplaced at Fort Greely,
infrared seeker using multiple elements into a viable defense Alaska, in 2004.
