The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully demonstrated an improved interceptor capability for the GMD system on 11 December which included launching a Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) into space with a three-stage booster in two-stage mode.
With three-stage booster/two-stage mode, the GBI was able to release the kill vehicle sooner in flight, providing an earlier opportunity to intercept and defeat a missile threat.
The new capability, made possible through digital system modelling software upgrades, has offered operators the real-time choice between a two-stage or three-stage interceptor, depending on the threat’s location and speed.
The stage mode determines when the kill vehicle will