Lockheed Martin announced Friday that it has completed initial testing of the kill vehicle divert thruster for the Missile Defense Agency’s Multiple Kill Vehicle Payload System. The testing of the thruster and valves on the component took place on July 16, showing that the system will allow the kill vehicle to more accurately maneuver to intercept targets. In the event of a launch a single interceptor equipped with the MKV will destroy the reentry vehicle along with countermeasures, Lockheed Martin officials contend.
The cost of the nuclear AGM-181 Long-Range Stand Off missile has come down slightly and the program is on track, but several technologies it relies on are still considered immature, the Government Accountability Office found in a report. Meanwhile, the GAO also assessed the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile as…