Boeing won a Key Missile Defense Contract from the US Missile Defense Agency.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has awarded Boeing the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System Integration, Test and Readiness contract.

Boeing has been supporting the GMD system since its inception in 1998, through development, sustainment and test operations.

The system has now been on alert for nearly 18 years, and remains the nation’s only protection against intercontinental ballistic missile threats.

Boeing’s proposal offers decades of experience in weapon systems integration.

With an established workforce, infrastructure and supply chain, Boeing is well positioned to begin execution on the contract.

Work on SITR will largely take place at the Boeing Huntsville site.

The US missile defense system is a complex system for detecting, tracking and intercepting ballistic missiles of various classes.

The system is a collection of long-range detection (early warning) radar stations.

Also, tracking satellites for missile launches, launchers and guidance stations for ground and sea-based missile interceptors.

Interceptor missiles are designed to destroy combat units of ballistic missiles of small, medium and intercontinental range both in outer space and in the atmosphere at various sections of the trajectory.

On October 2, 1999, the United States conducted the first test of the NMD (“National Missile Defense”) prototype, during which a ballistic missile with a training warhead was shot down over the waters of the Pacific Ocean.