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First
Battery of THAAD Weapon System Activated at Fort Bliss
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The U.S. Army activated the first battery of the Terminal
High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Weapon System at Fort
Bliss, Texas. THAAD is developed for the U.S. Missile Defense
Agency and produced by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT). Alpha Battery/4th
Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade,
32nd Army Air & Missile Defense Command will receive 24
THAAD interceptors, three THAAD launchers, a THAAD Fire Control
and a THAAD radar as part of the initial fielding. In addition,
the battery will have logistics support assets, such as the
Battery Support Center and Integrated Contractor Support System,
as well as the necessary spares for a fielded unit.
Full-system fielding is scheduled to begin next year (in
2009) with the Brigade's A4 Battery. The unit already began
receiving the weapon system's equipment and training on the
THAAD equipment is already underway.
THAAD flight testing continues later this year, with two
flights scheduled before the end of Fiscal Year 2008 in September
and two during FY09, which commences October 1. Since November
2005, the THAAD Weapon System program has conducted seven
successful flight tests, including four tests involving the
successful intercept of threat representative targets. A production
contract for the first two fire units was awarded to Lockheed
Martin in late 2006.
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