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Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) is the United States' anti-ballistic missile system for intercepting incoming warheads in space, during the midcourse phase of ballistic trajectory flight. It is a major component of the American missile defense strategy to counter ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) carrying nuclear, chemical, biological or conventional warheads. GMD is administered by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), while the operational control and execution is provided by the U.S. Army, and support functions are provided by the U.S. Air Force. Previously known as National Missile Defense (NMD), the name was changed in 2002 to differentiate it from other U.S. missile defense programs, such as space-based and sea-based intercept programs, or defense targeting the boost phase and reentry flight phases. The program is projected to cost $40 billion by 2017.
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Description
The system consists of ground-based interceptor missiles and radar which would intercept incoming warheads in space. Boeing Defense, Space & Security is the prime contractor of the program, tasked to oversee and integrate systems from other major defense sub-contractors, such as Computer Sciences Corporation.
The key sub-systems of the GMD system are:
Interceptor sites are at Fort Greely, Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. A third site was planned for a proposed US missile defense complex in Poland, but was canceled in September 2009.
In December 2008, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency awarded Boeing a $397.9 million contract to continue development of the program.
In March 2013, the Obama administration announced plans to add 14 interceptors to the current 26 at Fort Greely in response to North Korean threats. The deployment of a second TPY-2 radar to Japan was announced at the same time. While Obama said that the additional deployment was a hedge against unexpected capabilities, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei complained that the additional defenses would impact on global strategic balance and strategic trust. In late 2013, there are plans for a proposed Eastern United States missile defense site to house a battery of these missiles.
On 30 April 2014, the Government Accountability Office issued a report stating that the system may not be operational any time soon because "its development was flawed". It says the GBI missile is "capable of intercepting a simple threat in a limited way". On 12 August 2015, Lt. General David L. Mann (commanding general USASMDC/ARSTRAT) characterized GMD as the nation's only ground-based defense against limited ICBM attacks.
Program costs
Expenditures on the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense program have been estimated at US$30.7 billion by 2007. In 2013, it is estimated that the program will cost $40.926 billion from inception through FY2017; in 2013–17 spending is to total $4,457.8M, an average of $892M per year.
Flight tests
BV: Booster Verification TestCMCM: Critical Measurements and CountermeasuresFTG: Flight Test Ground-Based InterceptorFTX: Flight Test OtherIFT: Integrated Flight TestIntercept tests
As of June 2014, 9 of the 17 (53%) hit-to-kill intercept tests have succeeded. The flight intercept tests from 2010 to 2013 were not successful. In response the Pentagon is asking for a budget increase and another test for the fielded program.
Canceled tests
Throughout the program's history, multiple test flights have been canceled, including BV-4, IFT-11, -12, -13, -13A, -15, FTC-03, and most recently, FTG-04.