The Boeing Co., Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $150,000,000 undefinitized contract modification (P00057) to previously awarded HQ0147-12-C-0004/-19-C0004 on the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) development and sustainment contract (DSC). The scope of work under the current DSC includes development, fielding, test, systems engineering, integration and configuration management, equipment manufacturing and refurbishment, training and operations and sustainment for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense weapon system and associated support facilities. The GMD system is currently the only U.S. missile defense system devoted to defending homeland from long-range ballistic missile attacks.
Under this undefinitized modification, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency executes the procurement of four additional Configuration 2 Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) boost vehicles to maintain the fleet and flight test programs. The value of this contract, including options, is increased from $11,337,396,890 to $11,487,396,890. The work will be performed in Chandler, Arizona, and the period of performance is from July 10, 2020, to July 30, 2023. This acquisition was executed on a sole-source basis. Fiscal 2020 procurement funds in the amount of in the amount of $72,000,000 have been obligated at the time of award. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
The GMD and its associated elements span 15 time zones, including Ground-based Interceptors (GBIs) at two locations (Ft. Greely, Alaska and Vandenberg AFB, CA), seven types of sensors on land, sea, and space, and multiple and distributed fire control systems. By the end of 2017, there will be 44 deployed GBIs, 40 based at Ft. Greely, and four at Vandenberg AFB. The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) included funds to conduct environmental reviews of potential East Coast sites for a future addition to the GMD system. When ballistic missile defense sensors detect a missile launch, these data are fused and fed into the GMD fire control system, which is used to launch one or more GBIs.
The GBI will fly into the path of an incoming missile before releasing an Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV), which uses onboard sensors to hunt down and physically collide with the warhead, destroying it on impact. GMD is designed specifically to counter long-range ballistic missiles threatening the U.S. homeland. It uses a three-stage booster, giving the necessary “legs” to perform intercepts over great distances. This range gives GMD by far the greatest coverage area of any U.S. missile defense system, defending all fifty states and Canada. Other missile defense systems, including Aegis, THAAD, and Patriot, are generally classified as “regional” systems, and are geared toward short to intermediate range ballistic missile threats.
