Can NATO’s CUAS marketplace turn urgent demand into deliveries?
Framework contracts and leasing options aim to shorten acquisition timelines, while manufacturing partnerships could help suppliers scale production to meet allied demand.
US successfully tests improved missile defence system and multi-stage separation
The GMD test-firing took place at Vandenberg AFB on 11 December. (Photo: MDA)
The Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system has been deployed in multiple locations as the first and only operational missile defence system to defend the US against intermediate and long-range ballistic missile attacks.
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
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