Interceptor shield

Source: Source: Alertnet

“TEHRAN, May 31 (Reuters) - Iran said on Tuesday it had upgraded its Shahab-3 missile, already capable of hitting Israel, with solid fuel which could increase its range and accuracy.

Amid criticism from Washington over its nuclear programme, Tehran said last year it had begun a production line of Shahab-3 medium-range missiles, thought by military experts to have a range of 2,000 km (1,250 miles).

Tehran denies U.S. accusations it is seeking an atomic weapon and says it would only use the Shahab-3 in self-defence.
“We tested the first engine of a two-engine missile successfully,” Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani told state television on Tuesday.”
To read the full news article follow this Link

Source: Missile Defense Agency
Press Release 20 May 2005

Air Force Lt. General Henry “Trey” Obering, Missile Defense Agency Director, Announced today that the Airborne Laser’s 1.7-meter-wide conformal window was successfully exposed during flight for the first time, a maneuver necessary for the weapon system to complete its future mission of shooting down a ballistic missile during the boost phase.

The conformal window exposure occurred on May 17 during the eighteenth flight in the current test series for the Airborne Laser aircraft. The window, which is shaped like a huge contact lens, took five years to manufacture and is one of the most complex optics ever developed. It is mounted in a rotating turret ball assembly on the nose of the Airborne Laser aircraft. Durring takeoff and landing, the window is rotated into the “stowed” position where it is protected by a gasket and shield. During an operational mission, three of the four lasers that propagate outside the aircraft, including the megawatt-class “killer” laser, are fired through the conformal window.

Although the lasers have not yet been installed aboard the aircraft, the exposure test, referred to as “unstowing the turret ball,” is an important part of the flight test series being conducted this year.

The Airborne Laser is one of the boost-phase segments of the overall integrated missile defense system, being developed to defend the United States, its allies and its deployed troops from ballistic missile attack.

Source: U.S. Department of Defense

Contracts, Friday, May 13, 2005
No. 471-05

Press Release

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded an $11,217,258 firm-fixed-price contract to provide Full Service Support (FSS) for the STANDARD Missile-1 (SM-1) program of U.S. Allied Nations. The SM-1 FSS Program consists of Core Support (program management, asset storage, test equipment support, logistics support and tasking to demilitarize hardware no longer needed for long-term support of the SM-1 Program), Intermediate Level Maintenance (provide re-certification of SM-1 Block VI, VIA, VIB missiles), Depot Level Maintenance (repair and maintenance of, or preparation, upgrade and installation of SM-1 Block V, VI, VIA and VIB sections, assemblies, subassemblies, and components), MK56 Rocket Motor Regrain Program (production qualification and production), test equipment support, All-Up-Round (AUR), and technical engineering services. This contract was not competitively procured. This contract combines purchases for the countries of Egypt (43 percent), Taiwan (26 percent); Spain (10 percent); Japan (6 percent); Turkey (6 percent); France (3 percent); Italy (3 percent); Bahrain (1 percent); Netherlands (1 percent); and Poland (1 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Sacramento, Calif. (67 percent) and Tucson, Ariz. (33 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-05-C-5341).

Full press release at this Link

The new SBIRS High “Space-Based Infrared System High” has successfully completed a crucial “jitter” test and is a key step in the performance requirement of the new next generation missile system.

The new system will allow for monitoring of specific locations to better detect missile launches and give missile defense systems more time to respond. When fully functional the system will have four satellites in geosynchronous orbit along with ground sites to process the data.

On May the 5th Lockheed Martin released the following press release regarding the test.

Press Release

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 4, 2005 — Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has successfully completed a crucial “jitter” test of the Space-Based Infrared System High (SBIRS High) geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellite, an important step in meeting the critical performance requirements of the nation’s next-generation missile warning system.

An important and highly complex feature of the SBIRS High GEO satellites is the Pointing and Control Assembly (PCA), which allows the satellite’s two optical systems to be positioned to scan and stare at designated areas, enabling operators to modify areas of surveillance according to national priorities.

The heart of the SBIRS GEO satellite is the ability to use one optical system to rapidly and repeatedly scan an area of interest for infrared activity while not interfering with the second optical system’s ability to simultaneously stare at another area. The successful test, which was conducted at Lockheed Martin’s facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif., and utilized the GEO spacecraft structure and other flight hardware, demonstrated with high confidence that other sources of movement, such as reaction wheels, solar arrays and various deployable and steerable mechanisms will not impact the multiple missions of the infrared payload. “Our robust jitter testing and analysis has shown with outstanding results that the critical line-of-sight performance and accurate pointing capabilities of SBIRS will work as designed,” said Myles Crandall, Lockheed Martin’s SBIRS High vice president.
“Working closely with our Air Force customer, the team continues to work quickly and effectively to deliver the unprecedented capabilities that this vital national program will provide for our warfighters.”

To read the full press release follow this Link

At 8 a.m. Japanese time a missile launch was detected from North Korea by the US Army that alerted Japan to the launch of the missile, indications are that the missile was launched from the North Korean East Coast. Current reports indicate that the missile was a possible medium range missile, with a range of 100 km (60 miles) and was a possible land to ship missile.