What is the Navy’s vision for a next generation, sea-based missile that will support BMD?
The Missile Defense Agency has two separate missile initiatives that, if managed and engineered properly, should result in nextgeneration missiles that are far more capable than the current seabased missiles. The first effort is a far-term sea-based terminal missile that will be reviewed and pushed forward for development beginning in the 2010 time frame. Currently there are two competing missile alternatives. Navy has supported MDA in requirements definition of the more capable sea-based missile. The second MDA effort for the next generation is referred to as the Kinetic Energy Interceptor [KEI] Program. This effort was stood up to develop more powerful land-based and sea-based boosters for missile defense applications. MDA initially is developing a land-based version of this missile, with the expectation that a maritime version will be made available soon after the introduction of the land-based missile. The Navy has participated in two studies exploring the technical feasibility of
