■ The U.S. Air Force is developing the airborne laser (ABL), whose mission is to engage and destroy theater ballistic missiles such as the SCUD while these missiles are in their boost phase. This mission capability requires high-energy laser propagation over long horizontal paths (200 to 300 km) through the upper atmosphere. To be effective in the presence of atmospheric turbulence, the ABL mus...

This investigation addresses a nonlinear terminal guidance/autopilot controller with pulse-type control inputs for intercepting a theater ballistic missile in the exoatmospheric region. Appropriate initial conditions on the terminal phase are assumed to apply after the end of the midcourse operation. Accordingly, the terminal controller seeks to minimize the distance between the commanded missi...

This technical report contains the text of Nahmsuk Oh’s thesis “Software Implemented Hardware Fault Tolerance.” FUNDING This work was supported in part by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, Innovative Science and Technology (BMDO/IST) Directorate and administered through the Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research under Grant Nos. N00014-92-J-1782 and N00014-95-1-1047 Copyrigh...

Advanced shipboard radar systems will be required to detect, track and classify ballistic missile targets and re-entry vehicles, as well as perform traditional Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) operations. New Open Architecture Systems, including COTS hardware as well as open system software, are required to implement the necessary algorithms for successful missile defense. Lockheed Martin MS2 has been de...

Since the Gulf war, defense missile systems against tactical ballistic missiles have been highlighted and the author also have published some studies. Recently some studies also have appeared, however, it seems that the threat of anti-surface-missiles (ASMs) to current ground sites and its countermeasures have not been sufficiently studied to date. A typical medium or long range surface-to-air ...

Uncertainties in certain features of target geometries result in a loss of confidence in the signature assessment of the target. Knowledge of the impact to a target’s radar cross section (RCS) due to changes to specific target features can assist to identify whether uncertainty in a certain target feature warrants a loss of confidence in the target signature. This study will allow a development...

The finding that Russia is in violation of its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty has raised doubts about its durability. If the treaty cannot be revived, the United States could choose to add conventional land-based theater ballistic missiles to its arsenal. The U.S. Army should start a rigorous assessment of the potential military value and potential strategic risk...