ATK Propulsion Systems Support Successful Sea-Based Missile Defense Test
Jan 31, 2002
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ATK (Alliant Techsystems)(NYSE: ATK) said its Mk 136 Third-Stage Rocket Motor (TSRM) and Solid Divert and Attitude Control System (SDACS) operated successfully in support of an intercept of a ballistic missile target in space by a STANDARD Missile-3 (SM-3) during a Jan. 25 Sea-based Missile Defense System (SMD) flight test off the Hawaii coast. The success of the test, sponsored by the Missile Defense Agency, moves the U.S. Navy a step closer to fielding a sea-based missile defense capability.
The TSRM and SDACS propulsion systems -- both key elements of the SM-3 missile system -- performed as expected during the flight test. The mission marked the first flight of an operational SDACS and the second flight of an operational TSRM. It was also the first time the solid-fuel divert system has been used in an intercept attempt. ATK Tactical Systems Company-Elkton Operations, Elkton, Md., is developing both systems under a subcontract to Raytheon Company.
In congratulating the SM-3 team on its success, Donald E. Shaffer, vice president, ATK Tactical Systems Company-Elkton Operations, said, "The team did what few imagined possible. We hit the very first target presented to the SMD kinetic warhead (KW). This successful flight reflects the dedication of a government/industry team that has worked together since 1984 to bring forward a capability to defend our homeland, our allies, and the men and women of our armed services."
Shaffer said the TSRM and SDACS multiple-pulse propulsion subsystems -- which are key upgrades to the U.S. Navy's STANDARD missile family -- provide unique capabilities in energy management that are breaking new ground in the field of solid propulsion.
The flight test on Jan. 25 was designed to evaluate the fourth-stage kinetic warhead interceptor's guidance, navigation, and control capabilities. It was the SMD program's third successful flight and first target intercept.
In the test, an Aries target was launched from Kauai, Hawaii. The USS LAKE ERIE (CG 70) tracked the target as it rose above the horizon and then launched the SM-3 missile, which flew a nominal trajectory and delivered the SM-3 KW into space with the help of the TSRM. The KW then acquired and tracked the target in the exoatmosphere above the mid-Pacific Ocean. As the interceptor approached the target, it used its SDACS divert thrusters to maneuver into the path of the target missile.
The launch was the fourth in a planned series of nine test flights for SMD, formerly called the Navy Theater Wide ballistic missile defense system. SM-3 is designed to intercept an incoming theater ballistic missile outside the earth's atmosphere. The KW is based on technology developed during the Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile (LEAP) program. SM-3 and the KW are under development by Raytheon Electronic Systems at its Missile Systems business unit in Tucson, Ariz.
ATK Tactical Systems Company will continue to support upcoming SM-3 flight tests as part of a plan to further demonstrate and develop a sea-based missile defense capability over the coming months.
Headquartered in Rocket Center, W. Va., ATK Tactical Systems Company is a leading supplier of tactical missile propulsion systems and warheads, launch vehicle and satellite propulsion systems, precision metal parts for munitions, and composite structures for aircraft and weapon systems. The company's Elkton Operations were previously part of Thiokol Propulsion, which ATK acquired from Alcoa, Inc. in April 2001.
ATK is a $2 billion aerospace and defense company with leading positions in propulsion, composite structures, munitions, and precision capabilities. The company, which is headquartered in Edina, Minn., employs approximately 11,200 people and has two business groups: Aerospace and Defense. ATK news and information can be found on the Internet at http://www.atk.com/
SOURCE: Alliant Techsystems
Contact: Media, Rod Bitz, +1-952-351-3063, rod_bitz@atk.com, or
Investors, Steve Wold, +1-952-351-3056, steve_wold@atk.com, both of Alliant Techsystems
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