GROUND-BASED MIDCOURSE DEFENSE
Over the next year, the GMD program will move rapidly to complete the Fort Greely, Alaska, launch complex and test bed and fulfill President George Bush’s direction to deploy a real capability to protect the United States from an intercontinental ballistic missile attack.

The Boeing-led GMD team is on track to provide an initial ballistic missile defense capability that includes a variety of associated sensors and expansive battle management command, control and communications (BMC3). The test bed will support more operationally realistic test scenarios for GMD and other missile defense elements.

The program has successfully completed five successful intercept tests. In 2004, testing will become more complex and include more operationally realistic test scenarios to place stress on all aspects of the overall system from the interceptors, kill vehicles and sensors to the BMC3 infrastructure.

The GMD team includes: Raytheon, which provides the exo-atmospheric kill vehicle and radars; Northrop Grumman, which provides fire control and communications; and Lockheed Martin and Orbital Sciences, which are both providing booster vehicles.

ADVANCED TACTICAL LASER (ATL) AND RELAY MIRRORS (ARMS)
In the high-energy laser market, Boeing’s Laser and Electro Optical Systems (L&EOS) is under contract to build a prototype ATL to target precise ground targets from the air. The ongoing ATL advanced concept technology demonstration program will provide a transition to a deployable ultra-precision strike capability. L&EOS also has started studies and is working with the government to demonstrate an Advanced Relay Mirror System (ARMS) concept by 2006.

As envisioned, ARMS would offer a range extension to a variety of high-energy laser platforms. One proposed deployment scheme would entail a “constellation” of as many as two dozen orbiting mirrors that would allow 24/7 coverage of every corner of the globe. When activated, the constellation would enable a directed energy response to critical trouble spots anywhere.

AIRBORNE LASER
Boeing, the prime contractor on the Airborne Laser (ABL), is teamed with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. ABL places a megawatt high-energy laser on a Boeing 747-400 to shoot down ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight.

The Airborne Laser (ABL) team is conducting large-scale integration work on the aircraft and progressing toward the laser’s “first light” and the system’s full-scale lethality test. The aircraft has successfully completed a series of flight worthiness tests at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where it is undergoing extensive ground tests.

The Boeing ABL program office is in Seattle, Wash., with portions of the work done at the Boeing site in Wichita, Kan.

AVENGER - SHORT RANGE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM
Since 1987, Boeing has provided the Avenger, a critical shoot-on-the-move short range air defense system, to U.S. Army, National Guard and Marine Corps units.

The Avenger has been deployed with military units during every major conflict since Operation Desert Storm, including Afghanistan and, most recently, in Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is a highly mobile defensive weapon system armed with eight Stinger “fire and forget” surface-to-air missiles which has also been deployed in the nation’s Capitol and other U.S. locations to provide homeland defense.

Boeing has delivered more than 1,100 Avengers and plans are underway to re-equip the system with added protective and defensive capabilities. In addition, foreign sales are under review and negotiation.

PAC-3, SEA-BASED AEGIS BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE AND ARROW
Boeing plays a critical role in several other missile defense programs by supplying key components to Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3), Sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense and Arrow.

The PAC-3, a high-velocity, hit-to-kill missile, is the only fielded U.S. system that can protect troops from advanced tactical ballistic missiles. The PAC-3 uses an active millimeter wave Ka radar seeker and closed-loop guidance to directly hit targets.

Boeing is the subcontractor for the active radar seeker currently under production in Huntsville, Ala. The Huntsville facility was recently expanded and reconfigured to increase its production capability.

Boeing is a team member on the Missile Defense Agency’s Standard Missile-3 Kinetic Weapon Program, which is part of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense element that will give sea-based platforms the capability to use hit-to-kill technology to destroy ballistic missiles in the midcourse phase of flight. Boeing shares work on the kinetic kill vehicle and has prime responsibility for kinetic kill vehicle integration, guidance assembly – including guidance processor, navigation and control software and guidance unit integration. The program has achieved three successful intercepts to date with additional tests slated over the next 
year.