BAE Develops Missile Seeker

BAE Systems is developing and testing a missile seeker as part of the US Missile Defence Agency's Multiple Kill Vehicle payload system.

The company will produce, test and integrate the system's carrier vehicle seeker for the captive carry testbed in a $6.3m contract from Lockheed Martin.

In the event of an enemy launch, an interceptor equipped with this payload will track down the target using data up-linked to the BAE Systems seeker aboard the carrier vehicle.

Once outside the earth's atmosphere the seeker will acquire and track all threat objects, including the missile and any counter-measures deployed to disrupt US defences.

The carrier vehicle will then dispense a large number of small 'kill vehicles', guiding them to destroy the targets designated by the seeker.

By staff writer