The MKV mission is to negate medium and intercontinental ballistic missiles equipped with multiple warheads and/or decoys in midcourse attack phase with a single engaging interceptor missile. The MKV payload intercepts the threat clusters with kill vehicles launched from a single carrier vehicle. Using data from existing and planned ground-based, sea-based, air, and spacebased sensors, the BMDS interceptors equipped with MKV payloads are capable of attacking and negating the potentially large number of inbound warheads in multiple threat clusters. Therefore, the MKV capability dramatically alters the battle space in favor of the United States, its allies, and friends.

At the system level, MKV will intercept multiple midcourse targets from one defensive interceptor booster and will be fully integrated with the BMDS. The carrier vehicle will assign kill-vehicle- to-target and manage the kill vehicle engagements; the carrier vehicle will fly and navigate to the carrier vehicle’s assigned target intercept areas, identify the target, select a target aim-point, home-in on the target, and destroy the target.

MDA continues its research and development program to improve and upgrade existing capabilities. In 2008, MDA will work to add more networked, forwarddeployed sensors, and increasingly capable interceptors at sea and on land.

For more information on the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), visit www.mda.mil.