EKV/GMD
Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle/Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System
Benefits
g Destroys weapons of mass
destruction with hit-to-kill
technology
g Counters threats in the
midcourse phase of flight
g Provides target selection amid
the presence of multiple decoys
g Adds to a multilayered defense
Midcourse Defense
The Raytheon Exoatmospheric
Kill Vehicle (EKV) represents a
critical piece of the U.S. Missile
Defense Agency (MDA) Ballistic
Missile Defense System and
its Ground-Based Midcourse
Defense (GMD) segment. The
GMD is designed to protect all
50 U.S. states against limited
ballistic missile attacks by
intercepting long-range ballistic
missiles during their midcourse
phase of flight, before their
warheads re-enter Earth’s
atmosphere. The EKV is the
interceptor component of the
Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI).
The GBI provides protection
against small-scale, long-range
missile attacks by engaging
high-speed ballistic missile
warheads in the midcourse or
exoatmospheric phase of their
trajectories and destroys them
using the EKV’s hit-to-kill
kinetic force of impact.
Hit-to-Kill Technology
The EKV consists of an
infrared seeker using multiple
EKV/GMD
Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle/Ground-Based
Midcourse Defense System will protect against
attacks by intercepting long-range ballistic
missiles during their midcourse phase of flight.
wavebands to detect and
discriminate a target from
other non-lethal objects; focal
plane arrays and a cryogenic
cooling assembly attached
to an optical telescope;
propulsion; communication
link; discrimination algorithms;
guidance and control systems;
and computers to support
target selection and intercept
decisions in the final seconds
of flight. The EKV is designed
to withstand the rigors of space
flight while en route to an
incoming warhead, which is
destroyed by the EKV’s use of
hit-to-kill kinetic energy.
Background
In April 1998, the Ballistic
Missile Defense Organization,
now the MDA, awarded Boeing
Company a long-term contract
to coordinate the entire
midcourse missile defense
effort. As the prime contractor,
Boeing is responsible for
design, development, testing
and integration of the six GMD
elements into a viable defense
against a limited ballistic
missile attack. The GMD
integrated system comprises
the GBI; ground-based radars;
upgraded early warning radars;
battle management command,
control and communications;
space-based infrared satellite
system in a high elliptical orbit;
and a second space-based
infrared satellite system in low
elliptical orbit.
Testing and Milestones
In 1997 and 1998, successful EKV
sensor tests demonstrated the
on-board sensor’s performance
discriminating a surrogate target
from multiple decoys. In 1999,
the program began intercept
tests. It achieved five successes
between 1999 and 2005. In
2002, the President directed the
Department of Defense to field
an initial set of missile defense
capabilities to begin operating
in 2004. Raytheon began delivery
of EKV payloads in 2003, and
the first GBI carrying the EKV
was emplaced at Fort Greely,
Alaska, in 2004.
EKV/GMD

Divert/Attitude Control System (DACS) Divert Thrusters (4)

Aerojet
Inertial Measurement Unit
Sensor (Not Shown) Northrop Grumman
Raytheon DACS Helium Bottles Electronics Unit DACS Fuel Tank
Axsys/Goodrich/RVS Aerojet Raytheon Aerojet

PCM Encoder
Sunshade (Be) L3
Adapter Assembly Axsys
Laser Initiation System Comm Link
Pacific Scientific Cryo System Rockwell Collins
Toroid Gas Bottle Raytheon
CONAX Embedded Flight
Structure Software
General Dynamics – Raytheon
Lincoln Composites
DACS Battery
Aerojet Eagle Picher
DACS Oxidizer Tank
Aerojet Telemetry
Antenna
CE II Unique* Interconnect Harnessing Raytheon
Woven/Largo Cryogenic
Valve Bank
APD Electrical Conversion Unit Telemetry
Raytheon L3/TECOM

Systems-built ground-based
radars, upgraded early warning
radars and a sea-based X-band
radar to detect hostile missile EKV
IMPACT
launches and to provide MRV
guidance for ground stations.
A battle management, command,
control and communication Successful Tests
system provides operational Oct. 9, 1999 July 14, 2001 Dec. 3, 2001 March 15, 2002
control and a man-in-the-loop Oct. 14, 2002 Sept. 1, 2006 Sept. 28, 2007 Dec. 5, 2008
interface.
Raytheon is contracted with Providing a Key Defense Capability
Boeing to provide 33 test bed Layered Missile Defense Management
With eight successful intercepts,
(TB) and capability enhancement the GMD system is on track to
(CE) payloads and 23 CE II Department of Defense
meet the nation’s ballistic missile
payloads for use in flight tests defense needs. The performance
and to provide a limited defense Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
of EKV is setting the stage for
capability. To date, 33 TB/CE EKV development opportunities and Ballistic Missile Defense System
payloads have been delivered, future hardware programs for
including one engineering Raytheon Missile Systems to Early Intercept Midcourse Defense Terminal Defense
test unit and one payload set ensure its customers’ success.
of qualification assemblies. Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD)
Delivery of the CE II payloads
began in 2008.
One Company Effort
In addition to the Raytheon Raytheon Company
Missile Systems-built EKV, Missile Systems
EKV Product Line
the defense system includes a P.O. Box 11337
Raytheon Integrated Defense Tucson, Arizona
85734-1337 USA
520.794.4158 Telephone
520.794.8600 Fax

www.raytheon.com

Customer Success Is Our Mission is a registered trademark of Raytheon Company.

Approved for public release. 09-MDA-4650 July 6, 2009 PR 243603 EKV. Copyright © 2005–2009 Raytheon Company. All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A. MS 7/09 2.5K 90205R