US defense industry firm Raytheon has successfully tested its "exoatmospheric kill vehicle" (EKV), designed to protect the United States by intercepting and neutralizing ballistic missiles in low Earth orbit, serving the same purpose as Israel's Arrow-3 missile defense system.
During a test conducted by the US Missile Defense Agency and US Northern Command in the Pacific Ocean, the EKV effectively destroyed a medium-range ballistic missile.
Raytheon president Wes Kramer said in a statement, "This test demonstrates that the US ballistic missile defense system is operational, reliable, and ready to protect the country."
Countering evolving threats, even ballistic missiles in space
With nearly 50 successful interceptions in space, Raytheon's EKVs represent another step to counter evolving threats.
The "EKV" interceptor, a component of the ground interceptor and part of the ground-based Midcourse Defense System, employs multi-colored sensors, advanced computers, and rocket engines to maneuver through space and neutralize threats.
Raytheon is currently working on advanced ballistic missile interceptors and kill vehicles to enhance the missile defense capability of the and its allies against both present and future threats. However, it remains unclear whether these systems can protect against Russian and Chinese hypersonic weapons.
This comes as the US is seen as lagging behind in the hypersonic arms race, while many other countries are all developing and incorporating hypersonic weaponry into their arsenals.