In a test of the updated Ground-Based Interceptor for the Missile Defense Agency's home missile defense system, US forces intercepted an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) on Monday.
The launch took place from the northern section of the military complex at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at approximately 6:48 a.m. The GBI is a component of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, which is meant to fend off attacks from rogue states like Iran and North Korea.
Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, the recently confirmed director of MDA, stated in the statement that this successful intercept, which made use of the 2-/3-Stage selectable Ground Based Interceptor capability in 2-stage mode, gave the Warfighter more battlespace and more opportunities to block an approaching threat missile.
He continued by saying that this test showed that they could quickly design and produce the next generation interceptor's ground-based technology while still maintaining improved capabilities for their current fleet of interceptors.
The ballistic missile defense system's GMD component was being tested, and Monday's launch was a part of that test.
The U.S. Space Command Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense, the U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 30, the U.S. Northern Command, and the Missile Defense Agency coordinated the test.
The IRBM was launched from a C-17 aircraft near Hawaii during a flight test.
This was the initial trial of a three-stage GBI functioning in two-stage mode, which meant that the third stage was instructed not to ignite, enabling the kill vehicle to be released sooner.
