Missile Defense Agency Conducts Successful Test of Rocket Motor for Next Generation Interceptor Missile
06-NEWS-0022
14 September 2006
Lieutenant General Henry “Trey” Obering, Missile Defense Agency director, announced today a successful test of the first stage rocket motor of the new Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI), a three-stage interceptor system designed to be launched from road-mobile or sea-mobile launch platforms to destroy hostile ballistic missiles. The static test firing, conducted today at the ATK Inc. facility in Promontory, Utah, included the successful ignition of the rocket motor, a full-duration “burn,” and demonstrated the proof-of-concept for what will be a very high-acceleration, high-velocity and extremely maneuverable interceptor missile. This was the first of five planned first stage rocket motor ground tests, which, combined with continuing developmental tests of other rocket motor stages and interceptor equipment, will lead to the first flight test of the Kinetic Energy Interceptor now planned for 2008.
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