Missile-destroying Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle Intercepts Target

Raytheon’s Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle destroyed an intercontinental ballistic missile target in space on Sunday, marking the first successful intercept for the latest variant of the EKV and the ninth for the overall program.

“This is an important moment for our nation,” said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, president of Raytheon Missile Systems. “The successful test reflects the tireless systems-engineering work by a joint government-industry team to ensure the U.S. is protected from long-range ballistic missiles.”

The intercept took place during a Missile Defense Agency test of Boeing’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense System, which is designed to protect the U.S. against long-range ballistic missile attack by destroying incoming threats in space.

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