NOTE: The following exerpts link to PDF files

Airborne Laser (ABL)
The Airborne Laser (ABL) is intended to shoot down enemy Theater Ballistic Missiles (TBMs) during their boost phase of flight. The ABL engagement concept calls for the laser to focus on a missile's booster skin, rupturing it or damaging it suffuciently to cause the missile to lose thrust or flight control and fall short of its intended target.

Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS)
The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) is designed to be a highly mobile air defense system to protect maneuver forces and fixed assets. The system should provide area and point defense capabilities against multiple, simultaneous, 360° attacks by ballistic missiles, large caliber rockets, fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles, tactical air-to-surface missiles (TASMs), and anti-radiation missiles (ARMs).

Navy Area Theater Ballistic Missile Defense (NATBMD)
The Navy Area Theater Ballistic Missile Defense (NATBMD) system is intended to protect amphibious assault forces and coastal cities from short-to medium-range ballistic missiles, while maintaining current Standard Missile capabilities against manned aircraft and cruise missiles.

National Missile Defense (NMD) (Ground-Based Midcourse Defense)
The title of the National Missile Defense program has formally changed to Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD). The mission of the GMD system is to defend all 50 United States against a limited strike of Intercontinental-class Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) by adversaries from rest-of-world, or rogue nations, with a residual capability against small-scale unauthorized or accidental launches from existing nuclear powers.

Navy Theater Wide/Sea Based Mid-Course (NTW/SBMC)
The Navy Theater Wide/Sea Based Mid-Course (NTW/SBMC) system is designed to protect U.S. forces and population areas from a ballistic missile threat. Its mission is to provide an Exo-atmospheric Hit to Kill Sea Based Mid-course capability as an element of DOD's newly implemented Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).

Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3)
The PATRIOT air defense system uses guided missiles to engage and destroy air-breathing targets (ABTs) and tactical ballistic missiles (TBMS).

Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS)
Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) replaces the current Defense Support Program (DSP). Utilizing infrared sensor technology, orbiting SBIRS satellites will detect, track and report missile launches.

Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is a mobile ground-based Theater Ballistic Missile Defense (TBMD) system designed to protect forward-deployed military forces, population centers, and civilian assets.

BACK TO THE TOP    MISSILE DEFENSE HOME    CDI ISSUE AREAS    CDI HOME