Ground-based interceptor

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A GBI missile is loaded into a silo

The ground-based interceptor missile is an anti-ballistic missile for defense against ballistic ICBMs . It is an integral part of the United States' national missile defense program . The main contractor is Boeing , with Raytheon , Lockheed Martin and Orbital Sciences Corporation also playing a key role in the system. The missile is integrated into the “Ground-Based Midcourse Defense” (GMD) system.

development

HEDI
ERIS

The development of the GBI missile was preceded by two technology testing and demonstration projects: Exoatmospheric Re-entry vehicle Interceptor System (ERIS), produced by Lockheed Martin , and “High Endoatmospheric Defense Interceptor” (HEDI), produced by McDonnell Douglas . The first HEDI flight test took place in 1990, with later tests showing that the infrared seeker head used had fewer problems with the frictional heat in low air layers than expected. The first ERIS test in 1991 scored a direct hit at an altitude of 270 kilometers and at a distance of 925 km. From these two projects, the GBI program emerged in 1992. Test flights have taken place since 1997 (see test results for details ). The GBI missile should also have been stationed on the controversial American missile defense base in Poland , but this has since been abandoned. In August 2017, a total of 36 missiles were operational in Alaska and California.

technology

A starting PLV booster
Silo of a Ground-Based Interceptor Missile in Fort Greely , Alaska

The GBI rocket consists of two main components: the “Booster Vehicle” and the “Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle” (EKV). The former is a three-stage solid rocket , the latter is the kinetic warhead for the destruction of enemy re-entry bodies.

Booster Vehicle

At the beginning of the program, the so-called “ Payload Launch Vehicle ” (PLV) from Lockheed Martin was used, which was developed on the basis of the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile. The COTS booster concept from main contractual partner Boeing was discarded after two false starts and transferred to Lockheed Martin in 2002. The group improved the construction, which is called "BV-Plus" and is one of the two operational boosters. The other booster is made by Orbital Sciences Corporation and is called the Orbital Booster Vehicle (OBV). This consists of the top three stages of the Taurus XL launcher, which the company uses in the commercial sector. All missiles are housed in underground missile silos , primarily at Vandenberg Air Force Base .

Each rocket contains around 12,595 kg of solid fuel and reaches a speed of 5.5 to 5.9 kilometers per second (km / s). The missiles planned to be stationed in Poland should only have two stages so that missiles from the Middle East could have been fought more quickly.

Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle

The EKV is the kinetic warhead of the Ground-Based Interceptor. It is intended to destroy enemy targets with a direct impact, which is why no explosives are required. To locate the target, it has a cooled FLIR seeker head that locates the infrared emissions of the target object. Four thrusters are used for course corrections.

The warhead is 1.4 m long, measures 60 cm in diameter and weighs about 64 kg. In the final phase it reaches a speed of approx. 10 km / s (~ 36,000 km / h). This gives him a kinetic energy of around 800 MJ , which corresponds to the explosive force of around 200 kg of TNT .

A GBI can also carry a multiple kill vehicle system instead of the unitary warhead .

Test results

Test number date Decoys Test result Remarks
IFT-1A June 24, 1997 3 × re-entry dummy
5 × balloon 		success This test demonstrated the EKV's ability to suppress decoys; there was no launch. A balloon was 2.2 m in diameter and had a significantly larger IR signature than the re-entry body.
IFT-2 January 16, 1998 3 × re-entry dummy
5 × balloon (like IFT-1A) 		success Also a test for decoy suppression without launch.
IFT-3 October 2, 1999 1 × balloon with
6 times higher IR signature 		success First kill test.
IFT-4 January 18, 2000 1 × balloon with
6 times higher IR signature 		Failure First full physical. A bug in the FLIR cooling prevented the acquisition of the target.
IFT-5 July 8, 2000 1 × balloon with
6 times higher IR signature 		Failure The EKV did not disconnect from the third stage due to an error in the MIL-STD-1553 data bus.
IFT-6 July 14, 2001 1 × balloon with
3 times higher IR signature 		success Repeat IFT-5.
IFT-7 December 3, 2001 1 × balloon with
3 times higher IR signature 		success Very similar to IFT-6.
IFT-8 March 15, 2002 2 × small balloon
1 × large balloon 		success -
IFT-9 October 14, 2002 Secret success First use of an AN / SPY-1 as a sensor.
IFT-10 December 11, 2002 k. A. Failure The EKV could not separate from the booster because strong vibrations damaged a connector.
IFT-11 to -13A Painted - - The MDA decided to cancel four tests in order to advance the development of the new launcher.
IFT-13B January 26, 2004 No success Test of the new missile and new fire control systems. No shooting.
IFT-13C December 15, 2004 k. A. Failure Due to a software error, the rocket switched itself off 23 seconds before takeoff.
IFT-14 February 14, 2005 k. A. Failure The countdown stopped a few seconds before the start because there were problems with the locking arms in the silo.
IFT-15 December 13, 2005 No success Pure flight test of the rocket.
FT-01 December 13, 2005 No success Replaced test IFT-13A. First attempt at interception with the final, operational version of the GMD. Primarily a flight test, a simulated target was used.
FTG-02 September 1, 2006 k. A. success -
IFT-16 September 1, 2006 k. A. success -
FTG-03 May 25, 2007 k. A. - The test target did not take off, so there was no test.
FTG-03A September 28, 2007 k. A. success -
FTG-05 December 5, 2008 k. A. success -
FTG-06 January 31, 2010 k. A. Failure The radar system was not working as intended
FTG-06A December 15, 2010 k. A. Failure Interceptor missile failed to intercept target
FTG-07 5th July 2013 k. A. Failure The EKV and the booster vehicle were not separated.
FTG-06B June 22, 2014 k. A. success
FTG-15 May 30, 2017 k. A. success The interceptor missile with the new EKV CE-II Block-I launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and successfully destroyed a missile launched from the Kwajalein Missile Range in the Marshall Islands south of Alaska .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Missile Defense Agency: Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD). Retrieved August 10, 2017 .
  2. ↑ https://www.mda.mil/global/documents/pdf/testrecord.pdf
  3. ↑ https://www.mda.mil/news/17news0003.html