NOV19-06:   NSWC Port Hueneme White Sands Detachment Supports Successful Ballistic Missile Defense Mission of Target Vehicles
From NSWC Port Hueneme Command Communications

KEKAHA, Hawaii - Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Port Hueneme Division White Sands Detachment, a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), in concert with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program Office (ABMD) and Missile Defense Agency Targets and Countermeasures Office (MDA-TC) successfully completed first flight of the Aegis Readiness Assessment Vehicle Group C (ARAV-C) target vehicle at the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands Nov. 5. 

The ARAV-C target vehicle - a low-cost, ballistic missile target was developed and deployed in an 18-month window by NSWC Port Hueneme, MDA, the Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Lab and the contractor support team to deliver a missile target with the sophistication to fully prove the advanced baseline 4.01 system.

"This quick fabrication was made possible by combining a set of existing surplus rocket motors as the basic vehicle with a custom payload designed specifically for attributes needed by ABMD," said NSWC Port Hueneme Land-Based Testing Manager John Winstead.  "Using surplus rocket motors also significantly reduces target costs when compared to commercial alternatives."

Flight of the ARAV-C was the final mission of Fleet Training Exercise-06, Event 4 and provided the first opportunity of the ABMD baseline 4.0.1 software to stress system capabilities against specific threat target characteristics.  ARAV-C was projected out to sea from a large rail launcher, allowing a group of operating ships to gather in-flight data and target assessment.  Data obtained will be used to assess the overall baseline 4.01 weapons system effectiveness as well as provide a basis for future weapons system upgrades.  The initial flight met all test objectives for both the target and the Baseline 4.0.1 software. 

Building on the success of this test, an additional series of flight tests are planned using ARAV-C target vehicles.

Testing weapon system and missile capabilities allows NSWC Port Hueneme, a field activity of NAVSEA, to verify future technologies that maximize warfighter capabilities and increase readiness, which supports the nation's maritime strategy.

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