Lockheed Martin has completed a successful low endo-atmospheric test of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) weapon system interceptor.
Lockheed Martin vice-president for THAAD Tom McGrath says the test was the ‘lowest fly-out angle to date’.
“The interceptor has successfully demonstrated its ability to properly operate at the system’s minimum altitude,” he says.
The THAAD interceptor uses hit-to-kill technology to destroy targets, and is the only weapon system that engages threat ballistic missiles at both endo and exo-atmospheric altitudes.
Additional testing of the system is to continue in Hawaii until 2009.