Missile Defense Agency 2023 Budget: Emphasis on Ground Based Interceptors & Enemy ICBMs

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By Kris Osborn – Warrior Maven

The Missile Defense Agency’s 2023 budget includes a special emphasis upon research and development of technology to improve command and control technologies for Ground Based Interceptors. The intent is to refine new command and control systems able to exchange time-sensitive information with an interceptor kill vehicle to improve its ability to guide toward an attacking enemy ICBM.

Ground Based Interceptors

Upgraded command and control technology involves the integration of new components into data terminals and communications networks, is designed to increase reliability of the Pentagon’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system and expedite the process through which sensors and data locate ICBM targets, Northrop Grumman developers have told The National Interest.

“The budget request upgrades homeland defense system capabilities, including ground-based interceptors, ground systems, and phased array GBI communication terminal kits, and improved components of the agency’s GMD system, including GBIs, fire control nodes, communication systems, launch systems, and infrastructure to pace rogue nation threats to the homeland, and initiates ground weapon system capability improvements to integrate NGI (Next-Generation Interceptor),” Dee Dee Martinez, Comptroller, Missile Defense Agency, told reporters according to a Pentagon transcript.

The Pentagon wants to make sure it sustains and upgrades its existing GBIs while the emerging NGI continues to develop to ensure missile defenses remain operational until the new system is operational. The NGI, according to the MDA’s previous request for proposal, will likely include sensing technologies able to discern, track and intercept multiple incoming threats at one time. Such a system is likely to leverage multiple distinct, yet networked “kill vehicles.”

While a Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) travels into space to discern and destroy an ICBM, sensors and communications technology are needed to connect with the interceptor prior to engagement. While many of the details, sensors or RF technologies involved are, not surprisingly, unavailable for public discussion, there are a number of substantial cutting-edge improvements emerging quickly.