Lockheed Martin has implemented innovations in target production and operations that focus on cost effectiveness without sacrifices in reliability. This includes the ship-and-shoot approach, shown here, which delivers an integrated target ready to launch.
Lockheed Martin announced June 8 that it has submitted its bid for the Medium-range Ballistic Missile Targets contract to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.
The Lockheed Martin-led industry team completed delivery of the proposal June 8 to the MDA’s Targets and Countermeasures Directorate in Huntsville, Ala.
The contract will provide Medium-range Ballistic Missile Targets to support Ballistic Missile Defense System element and system flight tests. Requirements include development and manufacturing of MRBMs, integrated logistics support to include inventory storage and maintenance, pre- and post-mission analysis, launch preparation and execution and engineering services. The MDA issued the final request for proposal April 18 and anticipates contract award in 2012.
“Target missiles are important to our nation’s missile defense mission,” said John W. Holly, vice president of Missile Defense Systems for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. “Our targets provide threat-relevant scenarios to the system under test, creating tough and stressing engagements. Our team’s proposal for Medium-range Ballistic Missile Targets delivers the reliability, threat relevance and cost effectiveness needed to best support the mission. Lockheed Martin is applying our unmatched mission success record and demonstrated cost efficiencies to the nation’s current and future needs for next-generation targets.”
Lockheed Martin has named Brian Kelly program manager. Under the proposal, Lockheed Martin will perform engineering and program management in Huntsville and production in Courtland, Ala. The Lockheed Martin-led team includes: Cummings Aerospace, Huntsville; Davidson Technologies Inc., Huntsville; IERUS Technologies Inc., Huntsville; and Orbital Sciences Corporation, Chandler, Ariz.
To meet the government’s requirements, Lockheed Martin will apply more than 15 years of experience as a leading provider of target missiles for missile defense testing. Lockheed Martin has achieved an unmatched 98-percent success rate in 42 out of 43 target missions since 1996, including legacy and next-generation ballistic missile targets. Target reliability contributes to the overall affordability of a flight test, due to the costs associated with the weapon system and sensors.
Lockheed Martin has implemented innovations in next-generation target production and operations that focus on cost effectiveness without sacrifices in reliability. Modular hardware components reduce costs and maximize mission flexibility. A central production facility streamlines fabrication, integration, testing, storage and shipment. The ship-and-shoot approach delivers an integrated target ready to launch, reducing time at the test range.
Lockheed Martin’s proven experience in relevantly representing the characteristics of real-world threats includes: unitary and separating; short-, medium- and intermediate-range; and ground-, sea- and air-launched targets. The next-generation target systems developed by the company significantly increase threat-relevant capabilities while improving mission flexibility.
