The U.S. Department of Defense has issued a stop-work order to Boeing on the Redesigned Kill Vehicle, a program aimed at improving U.S. ballistic missile defense capabilities by replacing the exoatmospheric kill vehicle used on Ground-Based Interceptors. The move is the result of significant technical difficulties.
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin has called for a new analysis of alternatives for modernizing the GBI warheads. A timeline for the review has not been released.
The FY20 budget had delayed by two years a Critical Design Review of the RKV originally planned for 2018. The first flight was planned for FY22, with the first intercept test in FY23.
The U.S. has 44 interceptors at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and another 20 interceptors will be added at Fort Greely.
As editor of International Military Markets, North America, Shaun has cultivated a deep understanding of the vast defense markets in the United States and Canada. Shaun's perspective on defense procurement and budget issues has been cited in a variety of defense periodicals, including Defense News and National Defense Magazine. Further, Shaun played an integral role in the development of Forecast International's U.S. Defense Budget Forecast product, which offers an unprecedented level of insight into the Pentagon's acquisition budget. In addition to providing original analytical content for the U.S. Defense Budget Forecast, Shaun oversees an internal defense budget forecasting process involving Forecast International's team of skilled systems analysts following release of the DoD's annual budget request. Shaun is also in charge of managing Forecast International's Weapons Inventory database.
