CANOGA PARK, Calif., 14 Jan. 2009. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne won $12 million from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) for the first phase of a contract to design, build, integrate, and test a prototype Divert and Attitude Control System (DACS) to power two types of kinetic vehicles on missile interceptors.
The Commonality Pathfinder DACS, part of the Multiple Kill Vehicle (MKV) program, will enable MDA personnel to conduct controlled-flight hover tests on two different kinetic vehicles.
"The Pathfinder DACS will allow the Missile Defense Agency to test the avionics, software, and sensor capabilities of the kinetic vehicles, simulating the conditions of flight and demonstrating its ability to seek and destroy incoming ballistic missile targets," says Bruce Janeski, MKV Commonality Pathfinder program manager, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
The Pathfinder DACS will be designed with a high-precision propulsion system capable of positioning kinetic vehicles to destroy multiple incoming ballistic missiles and countermeasures, says a representative.
The first test of the Pathfinder DACS is scheduled for 2010. Hover tests on two kinetic vehicle designs are scheduled for 2011. The tests will be conducted at the National Hover Test Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
