The U.S. military today conducted a flight test demonstrating new interoperability between the Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems as it responds to an urgent requirement from commanders in South Korea for improved Patriot-THAAD integration to defend against North Korean ballistic missile threats. The Missile Defense Agency announced the conclusion of Flight Test Patriot Weapon System (FTP)-27 at White Sands Missile Range, NM, that featured an intercept of a ballistic missile target by the newest variant of the Patriot missile guided by a THAAD radar. The test demonstrated the ability to expand the area a Patriot battery can defend by using THAAD's radar - which has a much longer range than Patriot's organic sensor. The Patriot system was able to launch its interceptor sooner and engage the threat missile earlier in flight, a capability MDA calls "launch on remote."
展开▼
