Missile Defense Quick Links for Tuesday
August 18th, 2009
>> The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report highlighting challenges to the U.S. establishing missile defense shields in Poland and the Czech Republic and recommendations on actions needed to implement the plans. For example, the GAO notes that neither country’s parliament has ratified the agreements, signed last year; and the Department of Defense hasn’t established roles and responsibilities of the main U.S. stakeholders for the missile defense shield sites. Among the GAO’s recommendations are:
“[T]he Secretary of Defense should direct MDA, the Army, and the Air Force to finalize the Overarching Memorandums of Agreement and element-specific annexes that detail the specific roles and responsibilities for the European sites and define the criteria that must be met before the transfer of those sites from MDA to the Army and Air Force.”
Download the 44-page report. (PDF).
>> Aviation Week reports that the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) seeks to increase the range of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system. The booster is currently 14.5 inches long, and the MDA wants to increase it to 21 inches.
MDA’s THAAD project manager William Lamb said, “The concept behind the 21 inches is that it significantly increases the interceptor range, and by increasing range that significantly–three to four times–increases the defended area we have on the ground with the system.”
Additionally, a longer booster would give commanders more time to make the decision to fire at a target.
“It allows you to shoot one interceptor, assess whether or not you have killed the incoming reentry vehicle,” Lamb said, “and [possibly] precludes having to ripple-fire to launch several interceptors. So, you shoot, assess and then–if you didn’t get it–you would shoot again.”
>> South Korea intends to launch its first space rocket this week. The $405-million Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 is on the launch pad at Naro Space Center and prepped for fueling. The launch has been delayed twice. (Source)
(Image source: Army Technology)