National Missile Defense Contractors

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National Missile Defense Contractors in the United States have been actively involved in Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) since the 1980s. However, the project did not officially begin until 1998 "with a $1.6 billion dollar initial contract to Boeing." [1]

Boeing: Prime Contractor

"Boeing as the prime-contractor is responsible for the development, test, and integration of all the GMD elements, including the Ground-based Interceptor, X-Band Radar Prototype, Fire Control & Communications systems, Upgraded Early Warning Radars and interfaces to the Defense Support Program. Major team members include Raytheon Company (kill vehicle, radars); Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (BMC2); Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (booster vehicles); Orbital Sciences Corporation (booster vehicles); Bechtel (facilities design and construction); and Teledyne Brown Engineering (Integrated Systems Testing Capabilities and technical services)." [2]

Boeing Subcontractors

Boeing subcontractors include "Orbital Sciences Corporation, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. Boeing is in charge of Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) development, and the project is currently [2004/2005] undergoing extensive ground and flight tests. As currently envisioned, each GBI missile will consist of two main components: a three-stage booster rocket and the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV).

The Missile Defense Agency "currently has two separate booster rockets in the works: Orbital Sciences Corporation is building the Orbital Boost Vehicle (OBV), while Lockheed Martin is designing the Boost Vehicle Plus (BV-Plus). ... On top of either the OBV or the BV-Plus will sit Raytheon’s Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle. The EKV is designed to track and destroy ballistic missiles outside the Earth’s atmosphere, hence its 'exoatmospheric' nature. Each kill vehicle costs between $20 and $25 million and will include a range of sophisticated devices: infrared sensors, an internal navigational system, antennas, thruster engines, a cryogenic cooling system, and a small computer, all designed to maximize the probability of a successful 'kill.' Yet even with all its components, the entire EKV will fit comfortably on a kitchen table. It is only 55 inches long, 24 inches in diameter, and weighs 140 pounds." [3]

Raytheon is the "interceptor lead for the Kinetic Energy Interceptor program ... [and] is also providing the Sea-Based X-band radar and Upgraded Early Warning Radar for the GMD segment, the Space Tracking and Surveillance System payload, the Ballistic Missile Defense System radar, and THAAD (Theater High Altitude Area Defense) radar and battle management software.

"Raytheon is leading the SM-3 [STANDARD Missile-3] integrated team effort, supported by Aerojet, the Boeing Company and Alliant Techsystems, which are providing major subsystems." [4]

Kinetic Energy Subcontractors

According to Northrop Grumman's website, accessed May 31, 2005, the following are subcontractors for the Kinetic Energy Interceptor: [5]

Top Contract Categories - Missiles

August 1, 2001: DoD Missiles

  • Total Purchases: $3,624,658,000
  1. Lockheed Martin
  2. Raytheon
  3. Northrop Grumman
  4. General Dynamics
  5. Motorola Inc.
  6. Boeing
  7. L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.
  8. Astronautics Corporation of America
  9. Electro Design Manufacturing
  10. Honeywell
  11. Saudi Logistics and Technical Support (SALTS [15])
  12. Carlyle Group
  13. Sequa Corporation
  14. Marvin Group
  15. Daimler-Chrysler
  16. OMI Corporation
  17. Harris Corporation
  18. Humboldt Trading Corporation
  19. ITT Industries Inc.
  20. Telos Corporation

August 1, 2001: Ballistic Missile Defense Program

  • Total Purchases: $1,969,014,000
  1. Boeing
  2. Computer Sciences Corporation
  3. TRW Inc.
  4. L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.
  5. METAVEC Corp.
  6. COLSA Corporation
  7. Sparta Inc.
  8. Teledyne Technologies Inc.
  9. Science Applications International Corporation
  10. Johns Hopkins University
  11. Raytheon
  12. Government of Great Britain
  13. Utah State University
  14. Aeromet Inc.
  15. Vanguard Research Inc.

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