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Ground-based
Midcourse Defense (GMD)
ATK supplies propulsion systems for all three stages of
Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system boost vehicle under development by
Orbital Sciences Corporation. The vehicle uses slightly modified Orion motors
manufactured by ATK Launch Systems and flown on the Orbital Taurus® and Pegasus® launch
vehicles.
The GMD system is the centerpiece of
the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s layered ballistic missile defense architecture.
It is designed to intercept and destroy long-range ballistic missiles during
their midcourse phase of flight. It provides early detection and tracking during
the boost phase, as well as midcourse target discrimination, precision intercept,
and destruction of the target through force of collision.
GMD boost vehicles have been placed in silos at Ft. Greeley in Alaska,
and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California as part of the initial deployment
of the ground-based interceptor system.
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