Teledyne Brown Engineering’s Post

To be fair ... no one does. One of the aspects of hypersonics (excess of Mach 5 - 3300mph or 5300 kph @ 40k feet or higher) that is often missed (and I am not saying it is missed here by the OP) is the physics of the culmination of missile intercept. Unlike the movies, missile-based in-air intercepts (air-to-air or surface/sea-t-air) are not (almost never) designed to culminate with impact and explosion. Missiles do not hit their targets, but rather tend to explode in front or near the target, and it is the blast and fragmentation that damages the airframe in an attempt to make that airframe unstable or non-lift/glide capable. In this case, one of the contributing challenges to Hypersonic or HGV intercept is the drastic distance in the physics related to the mechanism for destruction of the incoming vehicle/warhead. I do suspect however, that they U.S. and its close allies have advantages over other states due to the developments in ballistic missile defense over the last years as most BM re-entries occur at hypersonic velocities.

Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, will be the propulsion provider for the Missile Defence Agency's (MDA) Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) as part of the Lockheed Martin team. On April 15, MDA announced it selected Lockheed Martin for NGI, the nation's first line of defence against long-range ballistic missile threats from rogue nations. “Our propulsion technology has powered the nation’s missile defense for decades,” said Chris Kubasik, Chair and CEO, L3Harris. “As the industry-leading propulsion provider to all MDA interceptor programs currently in production, our team has the expertise needed to provide this specialty propulsion to defend the homeland from evolving threats.” Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dWUHcHr7 #AerojetRocketdyne #L3Harris #LockheedMartin #airdefence #missiledefence #NGI #nextgeneration #interceptor #defence #industry #military #technology

On April 15, the Missile Defense Agency selected Lockheed Martin to deliver the nation’s new homeland missile defense capability, the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI). Lockheed Martin, as the MDA’s NGI prime contractor, will provide the most modern, reliable, and technically advanced interceptor in the history of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system. The multiple-kill vehicle interceptor is designed to protect the homeland against long range ballistic missile threats from rogue nations. Lockheed Martin remains focused on providing Missile Defense Agency an interceptor solution that is capable, mature, reliable, and affordable. The program continues on its path to the Critical Design Review, integration with the broader weapon system and flight testing. Lockheed Martin’s NGI program embraces digital tools, processes, and technologies as an enabler to meet our customers’ production needs today and well into the future. Lockheed Martin is committed to delivering the first NGI in advance of the warfighter’s need. #military #defense #defence #militaryleak #missile https://lnkd.in/gefERPp8

Your Systems, working as one

Boeing’s [NYSE: BA] Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) seeker program, which builds the component that enables the most advanced interceptors used by the Patriot system to identify, track and intercept fast-moving threats, is off to a record-setting start in 2024. The program surpassed its previous three- and six-month rolling PAC-3 seeker production records, and is also on pace to break its annual seeker production record by over 20% by year-end. Several factors contributed to the production ramp-up, including improvements in manufacturing processes and production control; greater supply chain stability to support PAC-3 circuit card assembly and complete seeker manufacturing; and improved first-time quality in product testing. PAC-3 seekers provide the most advanced interceptors used by the Patriot system with precision target location data to defeat everything from incoming ballistic and cruise missiles to hostile aircraft and other advanced weapons. Seventeen countries around the world now have PAC-3 interceptors, including most recently Ukraine. #military #defense #defence #militaryleak https://lnkd.in/giFxUfkk

At Valiant Shield 24, Raytheon, an RTX business, demonstrated a simulated complex missile engagement leveraging the U.S. Army’s Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor, or LTAMDS, and Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System, IBCS, launching the U.S. Navy’s premier, long-range effector, Standard Missile-6 (SM-6). Using track data from Army LTAMDS simulators and operational SM-6 engagement control software interfaced with IBCS, the test demonstrated the successful integration of these existing, respective Army and Navy program capabilities. This proves the feasibility of SM-6 as an additional effector within the Army IAMD architecture including IBCS and LTAMDS. The experiment, which used a combination of physical systems’ hardware and simulation, demonstrated the effective detection and identification of an in-coming threat, target and track data transfer, launch command, and the successful guide to missile intercept. Valiant Shield is a bi-annual exercise that brings allies and partners together to develop, test and train in a relevant and realistic environment. Government and industry bring technologies, designs and solutions with the common goal to increase the joint-combined force’s ability to plan, communicate and conduct complex, multi-domain operations throughout the Indo-Pacific. #military #defense #defence #militaryleak https://lnkd.in/ghjNxHXk

Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, provided the Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) target used in the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) successful test aimed at strengthening U.S. missile defense technologies. The test, designated as FTX-23, used two Aegis ships and the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Test Complex to perform target scene data collection of an MRBM with countermeasures. The test also included the firing of a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA (SM-3 Blk IIA) against the same medium range ballistic missile target, to verify additional functionality of the SM-3 Blk IIA. #military #defense #defence #militaryleak https://lnkd.in/gHQAttUY

Raytheon, an RTX business, recently broke ground on a $115 million, 26,000 square-foot expansion of its Redstone Raytheon Missile Integration Facility, which will increase the factory’s space for integrating and delivering on critical defense programs by more than 50 percent. The expansion will also bring an estimated 185 new jobs to the area, growing RTX’s employee footprint in Alabama to more than 2,200 people. Raytheon’s Redstone facility is the final integration point for many missile programs for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Navy, and other defense customers. The Redstone Raytheon Missile Integration Facility first opened in 2012. Expansion construction is scheduled to conclude in 2025. The facility currently handles integration of nine variants of the Standard Missile family, including Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6, and will accommodate additional defense programs, including the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI). GPI will be the first-ever interceptor to defeat the emerging threat of hypersonic glide vehicles in their vulnerable glide phase of flight. With the expansion of our Missile Integration Facility at Redstone, Raytheon is demonstrating its ability and commitment to continued GPI development. #military #defense #defence #militaryleak https://lnkd.in/gdYeit68

Defense systems are made up of several different technologies and tactics intended to fend off different types of threats, such as missile attacks. These systems, which can include air and missile defense capabilities on land, sea, air, and space, are vital to national security. To protect against incoming missiles, especially intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and other ballistic missiles, nations like the United States, Russia, India, France, Israel, Italy, the United Kingdom, China, and Iran have developed highly advanced missile defense systems. #AI

🚀 Exciting News for Army Air Defense! 🚀 The U.S. Army is making significant strides in upgrading its air defense capabilities! New radars and missile interceptors are set to enhance our national security. Here’s what you need to know: The LTAMDS, designed to replace the current Patriot radar system, recently aced a cruise missile threat test. Unlike older radars, it can detect and defeat ballistic missiles from all directions, eliminating gaps in coverage. Initial operational capability was achieved by the end of 2023, with full operational capability expected by the end of 2024. The IFPC system is getting an upgrade to keep up with evolving threats. It can hold 18 AIM-9X missiles in the launcher, bolstering our striking capabilities. The Army plans to replace the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile. The new missile must reach higher altitudes, cover greater ranges, and defeat electronic warfare countermeasures. Our soldiers deserve cutting-edge defenses, and these advancements are a testament to our commitment to their safety. Let’s salute the engineers, testers, and everyone involved in securing our skies! 🇺🇸💪 #ArmyAirDefense #NationalSecurity #Innovation