Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Company Center
Contact details
7100 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-7100
United States
(256) 541-7519
The fundamental objective of the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) program is to develop the capability to defend forces and territories of the United States, its allies and friends against all classes and ranges of ballistic missile threats.
On December 17, 2002, President George W. Bush directed the Department of Defense to begin fielding in 2004 a capability to protect our homeland, deployed forces, and our friends and allies from ballistic missile attack.
BMD Basics - THAAD Launch image
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has developed a research, development and test program focusing on missile defense as a single layered defense system. The structure involves three basic phases of ballistic missile trajectories: boost, midcourse and terminal.
Boost phase is the portion of flight immediately after launch, when the missile is to gain acceleration under power to lift its payload into the air (airspace). This lasts 3-5 minutes. Midcourse phase is the longest part of the missile flight. It is where the missile payload has separated from the booster rocket and is coasting unpowered toward a target. This phase can be as long as 20 minutes. The final phase is called terminal. This is when the missile's warhead re-enters the earth's atmosphere and falls towards its target, propelled only by its momentum and the force of gravity. However, its speed can be thousands of miles per hour. This phase lasts approximately 30 seconds.
MDA Mission
To develop and field an integrated, layered, ballistic missile defense system to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends against all ranges of enemy ballistic missiles in all phases of flight.
On December 17, 2002, President George W. Bush directed the Department of Defense to begin fielding in 2004 a capability to protect our homeland, deployed forces, and our friends and allies from ballistic missile attack.
BMD Basics - THAAD Launch image
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has developed a research, development and test program focusing on missile defense as a single layered defense system. The structure involves three basic phases of ballistic missile trajectories: boost, midcourse and terminal.
Boost phase is the portion of flight immediately after launch, when the missile is to gain acceleration under power to lift its payload into the air (airspace). This lasts 3-5 minutes. Midcourse phase is the longest part of the missile flight. It is where the missile payload has separated from the booster rocket and is coasting unpowered toward a target. This phase can be as long as 20 minutes. The final phase is called terminal. This is when the missile's warhead re-enters the earth's atmosphere and falls towards its target, propelled only by its momentum and the force of gravity. However, its speed can be thousands of miles per hour. This phase lasts approximately 30 seconds.
MDA Mission
To develop and field an integrated, layered, ballistic missile defense system to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends against all ranges of enemy ballistic missiles in all phases of flight.
- Retain, recruit, and develop a high-performing and accountable workforce.
- Deliver near-term additional defensive capability in a structured Block approach to close gaps and improve the BMDS.
- Establish partnerships with the Services to enable their operations and support of the BMDS components for the Combatant Commanders.
- Substantially improve and demonstrate the military utility of the BMDS through increased system integration and testing.
- Execute a robust BMDS technology and development program to address the challenges of the evolving threat through the use of key knowledge points.
- Expand international cooperation through a comprehensive strategy to support our mutual security interests in missile defense.
- Maximize mission assurance and cost effectiveness of MDA's management and operations through continuous process improvement.
Last update by Debra Christman, Mon 27 Apr 2009
