RUSSIA AND THE USA have agreed on a revision to the 1972 anti-ballistic missile (ABM) treaty which will allow the US Army to deploy the Lockheed Martin theatre high-altitude air-defence (THAAD) system now under development.
The revised treaty will continue to prohibit deployment of defences against strategic ballistic missiles, but will allow fielding of systems to defend against theatre ballistic missiles (TBMs).
The Army conducted the first of a series of 14 THAAD demonstration/validation (dem/val) flight tests on 21 April, almost eight months later than planned, from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
Indications are that the missile "...achieved its intended test objectives", says the Army. No attempt was made to engage a target. Flights against TBM targets will begin later this year.
The initial flight was to evaluate performance of the boost motor and thrust-vector control system, and the in-flight separation of the kinetic kill-vehicle.
This was then destroyed to demonstrate the safety-destruct system. The dem/val flights are to be completed in late 1996, leading to a decision on whether to proceed into engineering and manufacturing development.
Source: Flight International