THAAD Development

[sferrin]

At a distance it would be very difficult. Close in though (which it has to do if it's going to hit it's target), something like HiBex wouldn't even notice the difference.

In that case, does a THAAD-ER even make sense? I started thinking that an intercept strategy could involve firing multiple missiles to different kill boxes to cover the cross range area, but that adds up fast.

It might be the case that gliders are best defeated by point defense alone, along the lines of HiBex.

THAAD-ER makes sense because it would still be more effective against anything short of a hypersonic boost glider, and you don't want to rely solely on HiBex type weapons as you only get one shot. And I may be over estimating the difficulty of hitting a boost glider.

 

[bring_it_on]

At a distance it would be very difficult. Close in though (which it has to do if it's going to hit it's target), something like HiBex wouldn't even notice the difference.

In that case, does a THAAD-ER even make sense? I started thinking that an intercept strategy could involve firing multiple missiles to different kill boxes to cover the cross range area, but that adds up fast.

It might be the case that gliders are best defeated by point defense alone, along the lines of HiBex.

Think of THAAD ER as something that can attack at higher altitudes, farther away from the launch point. This not only aids in the shoot-look-shoot doctrine giving you the possibility to go after a threat earlier but it also gives you the ability to protect a larger area. The same capability also makes it better than the baseline when confronting gliders.

 

[bring_it_on]

Interesting talk given that a large portion of THAAD supply is going to be headed to the region

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoOrqfu27zw

 

[bring_it_on]

Japan Gets Serious About THAAD

On Thursday, Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Tokyo would seriously consider purchasing the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system from the United States.

The Yomiuri noted that a “committee in charge will be set up at the Defense Ministry to start full-scale discussion of the issue, while Defense Minister Tomomi Inada is making arrangements to visit Guam on Dec. 11-12 to inspect the state-of-the-art missile defense system at a U.S. base.”

Earlier this year, the United States and South Korea jointly agreed to deploy THAAD in South Korea to counter ballistic missile threats from North Korea.

Asked by reporters about the possibility of a THAAD working group at the Defense Ministry, Inada said “We are investigating future systems for intercepting missiles.” She added that her ministry was “considering what can be done.”

Before her comments to reporters on Friday, Inada had addressed Japan’s interest in THAAD on Monday.

“In light of the current situation surrounding Japan, I believe it is important to ensure missile defense,” Inada remarked earlier this week, at a Japanese Defense Ministry press conference. Inada was asked about her plans to visit Guam to inspect U.S. ground-based THAAD interceptors.

She added that there was “no specific plan for a visit to Guam,” but that Japan was “conducting surveys and research on a future ballistic missile defense system, but at the moment, there is no specific plan for introducing new equipment such as the THAAD missile.”

“We will conduct further surveys and research and actively consider how to enhance Japan’s ballistic missile defense capability,” Inada concluded.

To date this year, North Korea has carried out over 18 separate ballistic missile tests in addition to two nuclear device tests. One North Korean ballistic missile test earlier this year resulted in debris splashing down within Japan’s exclusive economic zone, drawing sharp protest from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

That Tokyo would be interested in THAAD is not surprising. Tokyo already deploys considerably advanced missile defense capabilities, employing both Aegis-equipped, ship-based Standard Missile-3 and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptors.

Given the ongoing political scandal shaking South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s government in South Korea and the possibility that she may resign, potentially leading to an opposition party taking hold of the government in Seoul, South Korea’s THAAD deployment plans could be delayed or scuttled entirely.

In such a circumstance, Japan may be able to procure the battery intended for deployment in South Korea from the United States, at a potentially more favorable price point.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Via JasonJ over at Tank-net: Defense ministry to quicken THAAD deployment amid post-impeachment row (Korean Herald)

 

[bring_it_on]

Conference bill: MDA to establish POR for countering hypersonics

Lawmakers are calling for the Missile Defense Agency to develop a program of record by the end of September 2017 for a capability that can counter non-nuclear weapons that can fly more than five times the speed of sound.

The fiscal year 2017 defense authorization conference bill states that the director of the MDA will "serve as the executive agent for the Department of Defense for the development of a capability to counter hypersonic boost-glide vehicle capabilities and conventional prompt global strike capabilities that may be employed against the U.S., its allies and U.S deployed forces," according to language in the joint explanatory statement.

This provision stems from language in the House version of the defense policy bill, and follows both China and Russia successfully testing hypersonic capabilities earlier this year.

The House also called for withholding $25 million from the headquarters expenditures for both the Pentagon's policy and acquisition shops until the MDA certified the establishment of the program of record. This limitation of funding, as well as language calling for a report on the implications of the Missile Technology Control Regime on such defensive systems, were not included in the final version of the conference report.

The conference bill calls for the MDA director to develop "architectures for hypersonic defense capability from detecting threats to intercepting such threats, that (A) involves systems of the military departments and the defense agencies; and (B ) includes both kinetic and nonkinetic options for such interception."

In addition, the MDA director should submit a report by March that details the architectures and sensors that are being evaluated, according to the bill. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is also instructed to submit a report by March on the military capabilities and gaps related to this threat.

In a separate provision, lawmakers called for the defense secretary to make a decision regarding milestone A approval for the conventional prompt global strike program. This decision should occur by September 2020 or "the date that is 240 days after the date of the successful completion of intermediate range flight 2 of such system," according to the conference bill.

Hypersonic weapons are intended to provide a long-range, rapid, precise capability for destroying high-risk targets that appear only briefly or are heavily guarded. Such weapons would evade enemy defenses in anti-access and area-denial threat environments.

Lawmakers are also withholding 25 percent of the research and development funds for the CPGS system until the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff submits a report on "whether there are warfighter requirements or integrated priorities list submitted needs for a limited operational conventional prompt strike capability" and if the program plan and schedule submitted supports these, according to the bill.

Earlier this month, the House and Senate both passed the bill, which awaits President Obama's signature.

 

[Grey Havoc]

China turns screw on corporate South Korea over US missile shield (ft.com, registration may be required)

 

[NeilChapman]

China turns screw on corporate South Korea over US missile shield (ft.com, registration may be required)

Typical PRC response. Although usually there are more histrionics.

 

[bring_it_on]

UAE THAAD Site Reaches Milestone

The UAE operationally deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system for the first time in 2016, a review of imagery suggests. The U.S.-built system was co-located at a recently constructed Patriot site, positioned immediately to the south of the UAE Naval College.

The THAAD site, constructed in 2014-2015, features four hardened munitions shelters, a support area and six prepared firing positions. All launch positions have been occupied with the unit’s transporter erector launchers (or TELs) since early 2016. In the most recent imagery in Google Earth, several additional TELs have been noted in the support area.

The THAAD system—designed to intercept short-range, medium-range, and some intermediate-range ballistic missiles—works in concert with the country’s existing assets including the Patriot PAC-3s, Hawk batteries and other associated radar elements. Together, they form a multilayered missile defense network protecting population centers and critical infrastructure.

In 2011, the UAE became the first international customer to procure the advanced missile defense system as a Foreign Military Sale under the Arms Export Control Act. According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the initial contract, estimated $1.135 billion, included 48 missiles, 9 TELs and two Radars.

Initial deliveries were made to the Middle Eastern country in late 2015. Around the same time, 81 Emirati air defenders graduated from the first foreign THAAD Operator/Maintainer course at Fort Bliss; a 2nd class graduated in May 2016.he same year in October, the system reached a milestone when it was observed with the X-band AN/TPY-2 fire control radar. Prior to the radar’s employment, the system was likely operational, as it’s capable of utilizing fire control cues from other deployed sensors, including those potentially linked by allies protecting the region. (Previous imagery, for example, shows various TELs on alert, with missile canisters elevated in the launch position.)

When not deployed as a fire control radar, the AN/TPY-2 can operate in “Forward Based Mode” relaying tracking and IFF data to remote missile defense systems. However, switching between the two modes can take up to 8 hours. (A discussion of the radar’s ranges in both modes as publicly reported, can be found here.)

In total, a THAAD battery consists of six truck-mounted M1075 launchers, 48 interceptors (8 per launcher), a THAAD Fire Control and Communications (TFCC) unit aka Tactical Station Group (TSG), and one AN/TPY-2 radar. The truck platform used for THAAD is the Oshkosh M1120 HEMTT LHS.

Outside of the UAE, the U.S. Army has deployed a battery to the U.S. territory of Guam and has plans to setup a THAAD site in South Korea. A Qatari order was also in the works but has since been delayed due to the country’s declining hydrocarbon revenue.

 

[fredymac]

THAAD-ER video. No telling how long this one will last if there is a copyright.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3SMs_IR1vc

 

[bobbymike]

http://www.usfk.mil/Media/News/Article/1104317/thaad-arrives-on-the-korean-peninsula/

 

[bobbymike]

https://www.defensetech.org/2017/03/18/thaad-interceptors-added-defense-budget/?ESRC=deftech.sm

 

[bring_it_on]

...

 

[bring_it_on]

From the FY18 Budget Request :

$230.2 million for BMD Terminal Defense (PE 0603881C), THAAD development eff orts.
MDA will continue development of THAAD software upgrades such as implementation of
fl exible threat packages and defense planning, improved capability to engage SRBM, MRBM
and limited IRBM threats, and integration of the THAAD batt ery capability into the Integrated
Air and Missile Defense Batt le Command System (IBCS) planning process.

$36.2 million for Terminal Defense Testing (PE 0604876C). In FY 2018, THAAD will conduct
Flight Test Other-35 (FTX-35), a ballistic missile tracking test to prove THAAD software build
3.0 and test X86 AN/TPY-2 radar confi guration with a THAAD Batt ery. THAAD will participate
in Flight Test Other -36 (FTX-36), a ballistic missile tracking test, to demonstrate interoperability
between THAAD and PATRIOT. THAAD will also begin pre-mission planning for (FTO-03 E2)
to be executed in FY 2019.

$451.6 million to continue procurement of THAAD equipment, including 34 THAAD
interceptors in FY 2018. By the end of FY 2018, MDA will deliver 52 additional THAAD
interceptors to the U.S. Army, for a total of 210 interceptors delivered. MDA received an
incremental production decision in the 4th Quarter FY2016 for THAAD authorizing continued
production of at least 79 additional interceptors through FY 2020.

$78.8 million of Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funding to support the maintenance
and upkeep of all BMDS unique items of the fi elded THAAD batt eries as well as for all THAAD
training devices. In FY 2018 MDA will provide support to seven THAAD batt eries.

MDA requests $213.5 million to
develop advanced discrimination
algorithms for the AN/TPY-2,
Cobra Dane, Sea Based X-Band,
and the UEWR radars to
counter evolving threats. The
discrimination improvement
effort will develop and fi eld integrated Element capabilities to improve BMDS ability to
discriminate between lethal and non-lethal objects. In FY 2018, MDA will transition to production
of next generation Gallium Nitride (GaN) Transmit/Receive Integrated Multichannel Modules
(TRIMMs) to support the AN/TPY-2 sparing strategy and improve radar performance. $10 million
is budgeted for Gallium Nitride transition.

In FY 2018, MDA will increase Hypersonic Defense systems engineering activities, technology
demonstrations, and risk reduction, as a continuation of FY 2017 Department of Defense eff orts
to address weapons technologies to defeat advanced threats. Activities will include completion
of a Defense against Hypersonic Threats AoA, capability roadmap development, and initial
investment in sensor technology demonstrations and weapon concepts to address the advanced
threat. MDA will leverage existing sensors and ground infrastructure/Command and Control to quickly demonstrate and deploy a
three-phase limited contingency capability
to provide real-time warning over the
majority of the hypersonic threat profi le by
2019. MDA is requesting $75.3 million for
Hypersonic Defense activities in FY 2018,
(PE 0604181C).
MDA’s budget request puts a priority
on cybersecurity operations. MDA will
train, educate, develop and grow MDA’s
cybersecurity workforce to support
the mission....

https://www.mda.mil/global/documents/pdf/budgetfy18.pdf

 

[sferrin]

Hmmm. Nothing about THAAD ER. Bummer. Not surprising though as it makes too much sense.

 

[bring_it_on]

They Defense Against Hypersonic Threats analysis will likely consider it as one of the paths to follow so expect movement after its completion, but overall I was expecting an MDA budget closer to $10 Billion and one where a lot of the Interceptor procurement was passed on to the services.

 

[bring_it_on]

MDA, Army in talks to transfer THAAD responsibility to service this year

The Missile Defense Agency is getting ready to transition the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense program to the Army, a move that would require the service to make room in its budget annually for procurement of the guided-missile interceptors while leaving MDA in charge of continuing research and development for the weapon.

MDA's FY-18 budget anticipates a five-year plan to buy 145 THAAD interceptors for $2.1 billion.

MDA and the Army are drafting a memorandum of agreement that would transfer THAAD and its radar -- the Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance and Control Model-2, or AN/TPY-2 -- from the agency to the Army, MDA Director Vice Adm. Jim Syring told the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee on June 7.

"The MOA will address the alignment of life-cycle responsibilities, resources and authorities," Syring said. "The current plan is for the Army and MDA to present the MOA status to the Missile Defense Executive Board later in 2017," according to Syring's prepared testimony.

MDA is responsible for the sustainment of the THAAD missile-defense unique or development items and the Army is in charge of operations and sustainment of common items.

The Army plans to field seven THAAD batteries, each with six launchers operated by 95 soldiers. Each battery, according to MDA's FY-18 budget, is organized to conduct 120-day deployments, according to MDA.

MDA's FY-18 budget request seeks $230 million for continuing THAAD improvements and plans $1 billion worth of enhancements over the Pentagon’s five-year spending plan.

The FY-18 budget request seeks funds to "continue development of THAAD software upgrades such as implementation of flexible threat packages and defense planning, improved capability to engage . . . [short-, medium-range ballistic missiles] and limited IRBM threats, and integration of the THAAD battery capability into the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) planning process," according to MDA.

 

[fredymac]

FTT-18 successful.

https://www.mda.mil/news/17news0007.html
THAAD Successfully Intercepts Target in Missile Defense Test
17-NEWS-0007
July 11, 2017
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Ballistic Missile Defense System Operational Test Agency, and U.S. Army soldiers of the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas, conducted an intercept test today of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) element of the nation’s ballistic missile defense system.

 

[sferrin]

FTT-18 successful.

https://www.mda.mil/news/17news0007.html
THAAD Successfully Intercepts Target in Missile Defense Test
17-NEWS-0007
July 11, 2017
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Ballistic Missile Defense System Operational Test Agency, and U.S. Army soldiers of the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas, conducted an intercept test today of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) element of the nation’s ballistic missile defense system.

I want them to intercept an ICBM with this thing and watch half the world lose it's mind.

 

[marauder2048]

Orbital ATK Successfully Completes Launch of Intermediate Range
Ballistic Missile Target for Missile Defense Agency

IRBM Target a Critical Element of US Missile Shield Testing

Test Validates THAAD Missile Defense System


Dulles, Virginia 11 July 2017 – Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies,
announced the successful launch of its Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) target for the Missile
Defense Agency (MDA). The target was launched in support of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense
(THAAD) flight test program for MDA.

The IRBM target was air-dropped from the cargo hold of a C-17 aircraft and lowered by parachutes before
igniting and performing its mission of simulating an intermediate range ballistic missile threat. The company’s
air-launched IRBM system provides MDA with increased flexibility in testing its Ballistic Missile Defense System
(BMDS). These tests are a critical element of the U.S. missile shield.

“Orbital ATK designed the IRBM to provide more flexible targets at a lower cost to meet the customer’s current
and future needs,” said Rich Straka, Vice President and General Manager of Orbital ATK’s Launch Vehicles
Division. “Congratulations to our Orbital ATK employees and the entire MDA team for mission success on this
flight test.”

The company’s IRBM target program currently has a contract ceiling of $1.4 billion, including all options. A total
of sixteen vehicles are now under contract through 2019 with options for additional vehicles.

“Orbital ATK takes great pride in our contribution of designing and deploying sophisticated target systems to test
the nation’s missile defense systems against all possible threats,” said Straka. “We remain committed to the
defense of this nation and our allies around the world.”

The IRBM target uses the company’s Orion family of solid rocket motors, originally designed for the air-launched
Pegasus space launch vehicle. Other Orbital ATK rockets that use Orion motors include the Minotaur family of
vehicles and the Orbital Boost Vehicle (OBV) long-range interceptor for MDA’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense
(GMD) program. Employees from Orbital ATK’s facilities in Huntsville, Alabama; Chandler, Arizona;
and Magna and Clearfield, Utah, contributed to this successful test.

 

[sferrin]

I wonder how this target compares to E-LRALT or LM's LV-2. ???

 

[Moose]

I wonder how this target compares to E-LRALT or LM's LV-2. ???

Since 2014 there's a new targets program which is trying to rebuild the somewhat ad-hoc target procurement into a more logical and efficient framework as part of the Integrated Master Test Plan. Each range class of target (SRBM, MRBM, IRBM, and ICBM) is broken up into three tiers:

Type 1: A Type 1 target is the baseline (simple) configuration for the class. A Type 1 target satisfies the minimum target requirements to provide the baseline capability
for each target class. The baseline configuration represents the complete vehicle stack-up and includes: 1-n boosters, attitude control system, test object, flight
termination system, housekeeping and environmental instrumentation, and telemetry. For example, the basic configuration of an LV-2 target is representative of a Type
1 configuration in the intermediate range class.

Type 2: A Type 2 target requires more advanced or complex performance capabilities. Type 2 capabilities may be included in the baseline Type 1 configuration or
provided as configuration kits that can be added to the baseline configuration. Type 2 kits may include the following: countermeasures and associated deployment
capability, enhanced targeting and aim point accuracies, selectable booster and test object dynamics, tailored separation debris, temperature sensors, hit location
and miss distance instrumentation, onboard sensors, deployable fly along sensors, and/or lethality payloads. For example, the LV-2 target with countermeasures or
additional payloads is representative of a Type 2 configuration in the intermediate range class.

Type 3: A Type 3 target is a unique configuration procured in low unit quantities. Type 3 targets encompass unique threat characteristics or test conditions (i.e. Ground
Based Midcourse Defense high velocity engagement scenario) not achievable with a Type 1 or Type 2 configuration.

This is the new Orbtial ATK IRBM target is (i believe) a T3 IRBM target. E-LRALT is an MRBM target.

 

[fredymac]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xqezi-gsKQ

 

[marauder2048]

This is the new Orbtial ATK IRBM target is (i believe) a T3 IRBM target. E-LRALT is an MRBM target.

Not wishing to be contentious but I've only ever seen Type 1/Type 2 IRBM targets in MDA's budget documents.

 

[Moose]

This is the new Orbtial ATK IRBM target is (i believe) a T3 IRBM target. E-LRALT is an MRBM target.

Not wishing to be contentious but I've only ever seen Type 1/Type 2 IRBM targets in MDA's budget documents.

I may very well be mistaken.

 

[fredymac]

Another THAAD test today only a few weeks after the last. Test nomenclature is changed from FTT to FET (flight experiment test) with the objective to "gather threat data from a THAAD interceptor in flight". Not sure if that means data collected from the onboard THAAD sensor itself.

https://www.mda.mil/news/17news0008.html
"In addition to successfully intercepting the target, the data collected will allow MDA to enhance the THAAD weapon system, our modeling and simulation capabilities, and our ability to stay ahead of the evolving threat," said MDA Director Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves."

video: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/540934/fet-01-thaad-test

 

[Mustang1957]

I'm guessing it would not have the range to take out asteroids?maybe a larger version with more stages? an interceptor missile for this purpose is needed.

 

[sferrin]

I'm guessing it would not have the range to take out asteroids?maybe a larger version with more stages? an interceptor missile for this purpose is needed.

Would be like shooting a BB at a building.

 

[bring_it_on]

Would love to see how the MDAs budget evolves in FY19 in light of the recent string of missile testing by North Korea. Time to move on the THAAD-ER and other systems and finally begin to buy interceptors at a decent rate to lower unit cost.

 

[Mark S.]

It seems that the DOD is re-analyzing a lot of missions. Wonder if we will see increased procurement to meet the threat and more R&D as bring_it_on has noted? The two questions that I have are: Does the ATK target have the kinematics to simulate an ICBM? Do you think we will see more than 7 batteries? Initially I thought that number was at least 9 or 11.

 

[bring_it_on]

9-10 was iirc a requirement crafted during different times vis-a-vis the situation in Europe and SE Asia. They probably need 11-13 to fully meet COCOM demand in the 2020s and beyond. International buys will move things along without requiring immediate commitment but the need of the hour is to increase the production rate of the interceptors and make them more affordable. R&D needs to focus on THAAD IBCS interoperability and fielding the GaN radars and possibly looking to upgrade the Antenna units. As far as interceptors are concerned THAAD-ER R&D was needed like 3 years ago provided there isn't a cheaper alternative.

 

[sferrin]

Any ideas? Looks like some mutant with a Mk72 booster. ???

 

[bring_it_on]

...

 

[Mark S.]

From defense News:

"Cahill said Lockheed is still in the process of reaching an agreement on what kind of capabilities, for example, an evolved THAAD interceptor could go after.
The desire to add extended range at the back end and more advanced sensing capability on the front end of the missile could give THAAD the capability to take out more advanced threats like hypersonics because it could take out a particular threat “before it has the chance to do the things it’s designed to do to defeat you,” Cahill noted.

“I wouldn’t want to say specifically what [THAAD Extended Range] could do against particular threats yet because we are still working our way through that,” Cahill said, “but there is no doubt, in general, further down-range, higher-up capability gives you better ability to hit something in the right zones. The more envelope you’ve got, the more you can pick where you can go hit them.”

 

[bring_it_on]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOzyK01xRlA

 

[bring_it_on]

...

 

[bring_it_on]

https://www.mda.mil/global/documents/pdf/budgetfy19.pdf

 

[bring_it_on]

...

 

[sferrin]

Well that's disappointing. I was hoping THAAD-ER might have actually been going somewhere. That they don't already have a way of linking remote launchers together is surprising.

 

[bring_it_on]

Another IRBM test planned for FY19) -