America’s Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) from Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system
had successfully destroyed an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) in a test recently.
In the statement released by MDA, it stated,
"The US Missile Defense Agency, in cooperation with the Joint Functional Component Command
for Integrated Missile Defense, US Northern Command, and elements of the US Air Force
Space Command… conducted a successful test today against an ICBM class target.
The GBI-Lead destroyed the reentry vehicle, as it was designed to do.”
This is a game-changing capability since an ICBM can reach speeds of Mach 20+ and knocking
it down mid-air is an exceptionally complex feat.
Following the test, China’s Ministry of Defense has expressed concern about strategic
stability.
Senior Colonel Wu Qian, director General of the Information Office of China’s Ministry
of National Defense and the ministry’s spokesperson, said during a regular monthly press conference.
“The Chinese side regards missile defense as an important issue of strategic stability
that matters on the trust between countries.
It should be handled very carefully”
China has in the past expressed concerns about the United States developing missile defense
systems capable of posing a threat to its second strike nuclear forces.
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes why America’s successful interception of ICBM
has spooked China?
Let's get started
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Advisor to the president on national security affairs, John Bolton had clearly stated that
America is pursuing advanced missile defense capabilities to because of the Chinese threat.
He had explained, “China is building up its nuclear capacity now.
It’s one of the reasons why we’re looking at strengthening our national missile defense
system here in the United States.”
The 2019 Missile Defense Review also notes that “the United States relies on deterrence
to protect against large and technically sophisticated Russian and Chinese intercontinental ballistic
missile threats to the U.S. homeland.”
U.S. President Trump had conveyed his intention, “ensure that we can detect and destroy any
missile launched against the United States any time, any place.”
So, it clear that America will go all out to develop a capable Anti Ballistic missile defense.
Mutually assured destruction (MAD) is a doctrine of military strategy and national security
policy in which a full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two or more opposing sides would
cause the complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender.
It is based on the theory of deterrence, which holds that the threat of using strong weapons
against the enemy prevents the enemy's use of those same weapons.
The strategy is a form of Nash equilibrium in which, once armed, neither side has any
incentive to initiate a conflict or to disarm.
This equilibrium will be disturbed if the U.S is able to field a fully functional missile
defense system that can defend against Chinese & Russian missile.
This is especially true in case of China whose longe range nuclear-tipped missile arsenal
is much smaller than America.
It is estimated that the U.S has 6550 nukes whereas Russia has 6850 and China has 280 nukes.
GMD is the United States' anti-ballistic missile system that is being tested & developed with
an aim to protect against incoming missiles by engaging them during the midcourse phase
of ballistic trajectory flight in space.
The system is designed to protect the U.S mainland.
Ground-Based Midcourse Defense is the only system that is available to U.S military which
can intercept Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM).
Other systems like THAAD can take on only Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles.
GMD is administered by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), while the operational control
and execution are provided by the U.S. Army, and support functions are provided by the
U.S. Air Force.
The test was codenamed FTG-11 by Missile Defense Agency.
As per the Missile Defense Agency, the ICBM target was launched from the Reagan Test Site
on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands whereas the two GBI interceptors were launched
from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California which is over 4,000 miles away.
The reason for launching 2 interceptor missiles was to validate the “double tap” engagement
process doctrine.
MDA stated in its statement, “The test validated a “double tap” style engagement, where
the first interceptor successful struck the incoming target reentry vehicle.
The second interceptor “then looked at the resulting debris and remaining objects, and,
not finding any other reentry vehicles, selected the next ‘most lethal object’ it could
identify, and struck that, precisely as it was designed to do"
Though the details are not confirmed it is interesting not that the 2 interceptor missiles
were of a different variant.
MDA also noted, “During the test, space, ground and sea-based BMDS sensors provided
real-time target acquisition and tracking data to the Command, Control, Battle Management,
and Communication (C2BMC) system,”
The programs draw the expertise of many U.S corporations.
The prime contractor of the program is Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
It has the responsibility of integrating components developed by other contractors.
The key components of the GMD system are:
1. Sensors that include Ground-based radars (GBR), Upgraded early-warning radars, Forward-based
X band radars (FBXB) such as the sea-based X-band platform and the AN/TPY-2 all developed
by Raytheon
2. Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) manufactured by Raytheon.
It is designed to collide with the incoming missile so as to destroy it.
3. Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) built by Orbital Sciences.
All interceptor are kept in ground-based missile silos and are located in Fort Greely, Alaska
& Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
The GBI carries the EKV to the desired trajectory.
4. Battle management command, control, and communications developed by Northrop Grumman
As of 2018, 44 interceptors and sensors spanning 15 time zones with sensors on land, at sea,
and in orbit are deployed.
In 2019, missile defense review requested that 20 additional GBI be based in Alaska.
If America pores in sufficient resources which the nation is capable of, it will surely improve
this capacity both in terms of quantity and quality.
At this stage, GMD should be able to defend against a possible missile attack from Iran
and North Korea as their missiles are relatively simple with single warhead configuration.
Going forward, the U.S may have enough resources to take on even MIRV (Multiple Independent
Reentry Vehicle) enabled Russian & Chinese missile.
It is to be noted that at this point, neither Russia or China has an elaborate operational
system like this.