Ballistic Missile Defense: Prototype THAAD Svstem

Abstract

During our ongoing review of the Army and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organizations development of the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile program, we raised issues about the procurement of the prototype-the TH and ID User Operational Evaluation System (UOES). In July 1996,we reported our concern that funding will be committed to THAAD UOES interceptors well before testing provides a basis for assessing the UOESs operational effectiveness. We expressed an additional concern regarding THAAD UOES test limitations in a Letter of Inquiry to the Secretary of Defense. In that January 6, 1997, inquiry, we questioned the Armys current plan to base a decision on UOES interceptor production on the results of test flight 7, then scheduled for late February 1997, using a different focal plane array-platinum silicide-in the interceptors seeker than the focal plane array-indium antimonide -which would be installed in all UOES interceptors. We asked the Department of Defense (DOD) to respond to questions relating to the risk of basing a production decision on a configuration different from that planned for production.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 27, 1997
Accession Number
AD1105786

Entities

People

  • Thomas J. Schulz

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Area Defense
  • Assembly
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Department Of Defense
  • Flight Testing
  • Focal Plane Arrays
  • Focal Planes
  • High Altitude
  • Manufacturing
  • National Security
  • Procurement
  • Production
  • Prototypes
  • Security
  • Signal Processing
  • United States

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