Raytheon,
Raytheon Company and Aerojet have successfully demonstrated the capability of a Throttling Divert and Attitude Control System (TDACS) for Standard Missile-3 (SM-3).
The full system ground test July 27 was conducted at Aerojet's Sacramento, Calif., facility to simulate space flight and is a major milestone toward validating the TDACS design.
TDACS — a propulsion and maneuvering system for the SM-3's kinetic warhead
(KW) once it has detached from the third-stage rocket — is intended for SM-3 Block IB, to be introduced in flight tests in late 2008. The SM-3 Block IB missile is being designed by Raytheon to provide increased capability.
“Throttling ability equals flexibility,” said Edward Miyashiro, Raytheon's vice president of Naval Weapon Systems. “TDACS has the ability to dynamically vary its thrust and its operating time. It also has the potential to offer higher thrust levels, making the system more capable against various threats.
TDACS is also easier to produce, thus holding the potential for significant cost savings.”
The Missile Defense Agency and U.S. Navy jointly manage the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense program. Raytheon Missile Systems of Tucson, Ariz., is the prime contractor for the SM-3 missile.
Aerojet, a GenCorp Inc. (NYSE: GY) company, is developing the Solid TDACS for Raytheon.
