September 29 - Lockheed Martin today said it has completed its first mission, as prime contractor, for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Targets and Countermeasures program by providing the test missile for the MDA's successful Cobra Dane radar tracking exercise this week.

Cobra Dane national technical intelligence sensor, island of Shemya, Alaska, Eareckson AF Station. U.S. Air Force photo.

The Lockheed Martin industry team launched the target missile from a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft over the Pacific Ocean hundreds of kilometers from the Cobra Dane radar at Eareckson Air Station, Shemya, Alaska. The radar successfully tracked the test missile, demonstrating the preparedness of this element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System.

The AN/FPS-108 Cobra Dane radar is a ground-based sensor for tracking incoming threat missiles. "We are pleased to have delivered 100 percent mission success on our first mission working in partnership with the Missile Defense Agency as the Targets and Countermeasures prime contractor," said Linda Reiners, vice president, Missile Defense Systems, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.

For the exercise, Lockheed Martin subcontractor L-3 Coleman Aerospace of Orlando, Fla., constructed a launch vehicle that simulated a realistic missile threat.

Close-up of sensors. U.S. Air Force photo.

"This mission demonstrated the rigorous systems engineering approach that the Missile Defense Agency and the Lockheed Martin team are using to support realistic and rigorous testing of the Ballistic Missile Defense System," said Jim Tevepaugh, program director, Targets and Countermeasures, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.

The Targets and Countermeasures program provides realistic test environments for the Ballistic Missile Defense System being developed by the MDA to defend against all classes of ballistic missiles. The MDA awarded Lockheed Martin Space Systems the Targets and Countermeasures prime contract in 2003. Lockheed Martin's team includes six major subcontractors.

Lockheed Martin performs Targets and Countermeasures program management and systems engineering at its facility in Arlington, Va., and engineering at its facilities in Huntsville, Ala., Denver, Colo., Albuquerque, N.M., and Sunnyvale, Calif.