Missile Defense Agency

The Missile Defense Agency (such as: Office for missile defense ) is a division of the U.S. Department of Defense. The MDA is the company responsible for the development of a defense system against ballistic missiles at several levels, the so-called National Missile Defense.

Objective of the mission

On the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense says about the project:

Translated by:

The MDA divided their system into three categories: boost phase ( initial phase ), mid -course phase ( flight phase ) and terminal phase ( approach phase ), each of which corresponds to a different level of threat during the flight of a ballistic missile. Each phase has advantages and disadvantages for a missile defense system, so you want to increase by a multi-layered defense concept effectiveness.

Defense in the starting phase

• Kinetic Energy Interceptor ( KEI; interception on the basis of kinetic energy): In December 2003, the MDA commissioned the company Northrop Grumman with the development and testing of such systems, the gfs. could also be used in the flight phase. The KEI is started from a position that located not far from the starting position of the target missile; he is therefore less suitable when used against larger countries. It must be fired very shortly after the start of the target and a high speed have (about 6 km / s).

• Airborne Laser: This is an airborne (based Boeing YAL -1) laser system that can either disable the warhead itself or driving the rocket. In the latter version is the risk of a " shortfall", ie the rocket could fall between start and end point on the earth, and there may cause considerable damage.

Mid -course Defense

• Ground Based Midcourse Defense System (GMD; stationed on the ground air defense system for the average flight phase ): A ground-based air defense system consists of both a booster rocket and a so-called kinetic, exoatmosphärischen Kill Vehicle ( EKV )

• Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System ( Aegis BMD, a ballistic missile defense system ): Consisting of a SM- 3 missile with a lightweight exoatmosphärischen Projectile (LEAP ) with kinetic warhead; to be launched from ships.

An important aspect in this phase is the distinction between actual warheads and decoys.

Defense in the reentry phase

• Terminal High Altitude Area Defense ( THAAD ): to ward off a defense system that is to be used during the final phase of the approach and using its own rocket the enemy projectile collision (ie by the impact force ).

• PATRIOT Advanced Capability -3 ( PAC -3): a similar defense system such as THAAD, with the difference that in this case the enemy missile to be destroyed by an explosion.

• , Incoming missiles to intercept a joint project of the U.S. and Israel, which is to be able in the stratosphere: Arrow Missile.

• Medium Extended Air Defense System ( MEADS ): a joint project of the U.S. Department of Defense, Germany and Italy, which will replace the outdated Patriot defense system.

Not all allies of the United States hot these plans well. So Canada announced in February 2005, not wanting to participate in the defense system of the United States against ballistic missiles. This is due to the size and the location of the country of considerable strategic importance, so there can not now - the corresponding defense facilities of NMD are installed - as originally intended.