MDA News Release:

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency conducted a successful launch of a Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) flying a mock-up of the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV). This test was the first flight test of a three-stage booster operating in two-stage mode meaning the third stage was not ignited, allowing earlier release of the kill vehicle providing increased battlespace. This new capability is known as a 2-/3-Stage selectable GBI. This capability gives the warfighter greater flexibility in executing the defense of the homeland while significantly increasing the battlespace for successful threat engagement. Using a mock-up of an EKV provided a significant reduction in cost of the test and spared critical defense assets that were not required in this non-intercept test.

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