(U) National Missile Defense X-Band Radar

(The effects of any budget/program decisions made since the information was collected during 1997-98 are NOT reflected in the National Security Space Road Map (NSSRM).)

Overview: (U)
(U) The National Missile Defense X-band Radar (NMD XBR) initiative is the radar for deployment in the National Missile Defense (NMD) system and will be the primary fire control sensor, providing surveillance, acquisition, tracking, discrimination, fire control support and kill assessment. The current NMD program specifies that three years will be spent developing and testing the NMD elements (GBR-Prototype).  At the end of these three years, a decision will be made based on the existing or projected threat to deploy an ABM Treaty-compliant NMD system.  Deployment is then expected to take an additional three years.  This is known as the "three+three" option.

Description: (U)
(U) The NMD XBR is the primary fire control sensor, providing surveillance, acquisition, tracking, discrimination, fire control support and kill assessment for the National Missile Defense (NMD) system.  Prior to commitment of interceptors, the radar performs surveillance as directed by the NMD BMC3 from a cue by SBIRS Low or other sensors, and will acquire, track, classify/identify and estimate trajectory parameters for targets. In post-commit, the radar will discriminate and track the target(s), and provide via the In-Flight Interceptor Communications System (IFICS) an In-Flight Target Update (IFTU) and a Target Object Map (TOM) to the interceptor(s). The NMD XBR leverages off the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Ground-based Radar whose development and technical maturity has helped reduce the GBR/XBR development time.

User Impact: (U)
(U) To be supplied.

Programmatics: (U)
(U) Programmable.
	(U) IOC: 09/2003 (4QFY2003).

Related Initiatives: (U)
(U) Ground-Based Radar Prototype

Related Requirements: (U)
(U) None.

Related Categories: (U)
(U) Surveillance

Road Map Placements: (U)
(U) SPACE CONTROL: NMD/ COUNTERSPACE.

Lead Office: (U)
(U) Army.

Date of Information: (U)
29 June 1998

(The effects of any budget/program decisions made since the information was collected during 1997-98 are NOT reflected in the National Security Space Road Map (NSSRM).)