Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle

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Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) can refer to two related missile defense concepts:

• Most common: the Raytheon-manufactured interceptor component with subcontractor Aerojet of the U.S. Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD), part of the larger National Missile Defense system.
• Any exoatmospheric (outside the atmosphere) kinetic kill interceptor.

The Raytheon EKV is launched by the Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) missile, the launch vehicle of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System. Its own rockets and fuel are for corrections in the trajectory, not for further acceleration.

An EKV is boosted to an intercept trajectory by a boost vehicle (missile), where it separates from the boost vehicle and autonomously collides with an incoming warhead. EKV devices appear in both ground and ship based missile defense systems.

Contents 1 Characteristics (of the Raytheon's EKV) 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Characteristics (of the Raytheon's EKV)

• Weight: approx. 140 lb (64 kg)
• Length: 55 in (1.4 m)
• Diameter: 24 in (0.6 m)
• Speed of projectile: Roughly 10 km/s (22,000 mph)

[edit] See also

• National Missile Defense
• Anti-ballistic missile

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• http://www.raytheon.com/products/ekv/
• http://www.oss.goodrich.com/ExoatmosphericKillVehicle.shtml