Frequently Asked Questions
Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD)
What is the GMD program about and how does it work?
The GMD element is primarily composed of a Fire Control and Communications component and Ground-based Interceptors. This provides us with the capability to defend the United States against intermediate- and long-range ballistic missile attacks in the midcourse phase of flight.
Is there an explosion when the Kill Vehicle hits the reentry vehicle?
No. There is a collision in space. It is very powerful and generates debris, gas and dust. The gas and dust may actually look like they burn, but only for an extremely short time. The debris and dust will reenter the atmosphere and burn up like a meteor.
What is inside the reentry vehicle?
The reentry vehicle will carry a bomb of some kind. That bomb could be nuclear, biological or chemical. It could cause mass destruction if it reached its target. We want to collide with it in space and prevent it from reaching earth.
What else might fly along with the hostile reentry vehicle?
Some debris from the rocket stages will be moving alongside the reentry vehicle. Also, some decoys may be present to try to fool us into colliding with them instead of the reentry vehicle.
How can the MDA know if the kill vehicle has collided with the target reentry vehicle during tests?
The MDA uses a wide variety of sophisticated space-based, ground-based, and airborne sensors and instruments -- including advanced radar images and tracking information, high-speed photographs and video, and radio signals from the target -- to determine the success of the intercept.
Will future GMD tests be truly representative of an actual GMD engagement?
These developmental flight tests are carefully designed to answer specific questions about components of the GMD system; however, they are not controlled or scripted.
What missile defense assets are in Alaska?
Twenty-six anti-ballistic missile interceptors are in place at the Missile Defense Complex located at Ft. Greely. The MDA upgraded the Cobra Dane radar on Shemya Island in the Aleutians for missile defense use, and will soon start work on upgrading the early warning radar at Clear Air Force Station. The Clear Radar will maintain its current early warning capabilities, but also be integrated into the US Ballistic Missile Defense System.
Who mans the Ft. Greely Missile Defense Complex?
Soldiers assigned to the 49th Missile Defense Battalion. The Battalion is unique in several ways. First, it's an Army National Guard unit composed of full-time members of the Alaska National Guard. Members of the 49th make up the launch crews and provide security for the Complex. Secondly, no other unit in the Army or Army National Guard has a mission like the 49th — they are truly unique. Finally, the Missile Defense Complex at Ft. Greely is considered a forward-deployed location — none of the soldiers assigned to the 49th will deploy to another location unless they volunteer for it.
Why was the Missile Defense Complex placed at Ft. Greely?
From Ft. Greely, Alaska, the entire United States can be protected from long-range ballistic missiles. The area is remote with a low population density. Plus, the infrastructure was already in place. Ft. Greely itself had been closed in the late 90s and all of the office buildings, maintenance shops and housing were empty. Finally, the geology of the area made it fairly easy to drill holes for silos.