Point of Intercept: On the Front Line of Missile Defense

Peraton supports the U.S. Missile Defense Agency by providing the scientific and engineering support needed to detect, track, and intercept ballistic missile targets.

Recent intercontinental ballistic missile tests have prompted  the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to ask Peraton experts to perform front-line support for U.S. counter-measures to this serious threat to our nation’s and global allies’ security. We play a significant role in the manufacture, test, and operational planning of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and other anti-missile defense systems. “THAAD is a great example of how our people are integral to successful performance of our customers’ national security missions,” said CEO Stu Shea.

By land and sea, our Range Instrumentation Support team directly supports the MDA, the Ballistic Missile Defense System Operational Test Agency, and U.S. Army soldiers of the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas, in conducting intercept tests for the THAAD element of the nation’s ballistic missile defense system. Our Peraton team on the MDA Joint National Integration Center Research and Development Contract provide pre- and post-flight test support to MDA’s Threat Modeling Center (TMC).

Peraton employees also have supported testing aboard the U.S. Navy missile-defense vessel Pacific Collector. Peraton operators gathered threat data from the THAAD interceptor in flight, using radar, open systems mission planning, and data analysis capabilities. Peraton subject matter experts serve as the POC for event-support lifecycle management, ensuring that all technical, staff, facility, and cybersecurity requirements are met.

Further, our product team for Acusil®, our proprietary, light-weight, silicon-syntactic, foam-based thermal protection system, is integral to the manufacture of the interceptor missiles. Acusil has been used on fins and panels for Patriot and THAAD missiles, and it is also a vital component of the 2020 Mars Lander mission.