Lockheed Martin has carried out what it described as "a free-flight hover test of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Multiple Kill Vehicle-L" full-scale prototype. The test was carried out Dec. 2 at the National Hover Test Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and achieved all its objectives, the company said in a statement.

During the test, the MKV-L conducted an engagement with an enemy target. The MKV-L carries a payload of kill vehicles it sends into the threat area to destroy all lethal targets and attempted enemy countermeasures. The MKV-L is designed to utilize tracking data from the Ballistic Missile Defense System and from its own seeker to annihilate multiple targets, the company said.

In the test, the prototype was propelled at a height of around 23 feet (7 meters) for 20 seconds, and it carried out maneuvers while at the same time monitoring a potential target.

"This test demonstrated the integrated operation of the MKV-L in near-earth flight," stated Rick Reginato, Multiple Kill Vehicle program director, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. "This represents a major step forward for the earliest operational payload designed to destroy multiple threat objects with a single missile defense interceptor."

Lockheed Martin said the test launched a series of exercises to prepare the MKV for its complex flight testing on the Ballistic Missile Defense System's Ground-based Mid-course Interceptors -- GBIs -- that are already based at Fort Greely, Alaska, and at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

"Testing the payload in the ground-based, controlled flight environment at the National Hover Test Facility enables us to verify inter-operation of components and subsystems as they are incrementally developed and integrated," stated Randy Riley, MKV-L Hover Test Bed program director, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co.

Lockheed Martin said the MKV-L Hover Test Bed development team for the MDA comprised Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., prime contractor; Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Canoga Park, Calif.; and Octant Technologies, San Jose, Calif.

Russia pushes ahead with Topol-M Stalin buildup
Russia is pushing ahead with operational deployment of its next-generation, single-warhead Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles (NATO designation SS-27 Stalin), despite the growing global economic crisis that is now also sweeping Russia, RIA Novosti reported Friday.

Some reports in the Russian press have suggested or speculated that the economic crunch could cause major slowdowns in Topol-M production and consequent deployment. But three-star Col. Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, the commander of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, shot down that speculation in comments Friday.

"I have just returned from the Teikovo missile division, where the Topol-M systems are being put on combat duty, and I can assure you that there are no delays there," Solovtsov stated, according to the report.

"All systems will be deployed on schedule," he said.

RIA Novosti said Russia currently deploys about three mobile and three or four silo-based Topol-M ballistic missile systems into operational use per year. It said the first two Topol-M mobile missile battalions, armed with six road-mobile systems, were now already operationally deployed with the 54th Strategic Missile Division near Teikovo, 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Moscow. That buildup will go on through next year, and the 54th Division is on schedule to be fully equipped by 2010, according to Solovtsov.

RIA Novosti described the Topol-M SS-27 Stalin ICBM as "the mainstay of (Russia's) land-based component of the nuclear triad."

"As of 2008, Russia's Strategic Missile Forces operated 48 silo-based and six mobile Topol-M missile systems," the report said.

RIA Novosti said the Topol-M had a range of 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers) and could avoid all current and future U.S. ballistic missile defenses.

The Topol-M "is capable of making evasive maneuvers to avoid a kill, using terminal phase interceptors, and carries targeting countermeasures and decoys," the report said. "It is also shielded against radiation, electromagnetic pulse, nuclear blasts, and is designed to survive a hit from any known form of laser technology," it said.

U.S. Navy test-fires seven Raytheon SM-2 Block IIIAs
Raytheon said Wednesday the U.S. Navy had test-launched seven of the company's Standard Missile-2 Block IIIA anti-air warfare missiles during regular shipbuilder trials and operational tests.

Four of the intercepts were carried out by the U.S. Navy's guided missile destroyers USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS Truxton (DDG 103), the company said. The other three were carried out by the USS Antietam (CG 54) in the course of tests performed at the Southern California Offshore Range Extension, it said.

"The long-range SM-2 Block IIIA's ability to engage threats with low radar cross-sections while performing high-g maneuvers makes it the most widely deployed area defense missile in the world," said Ron Shields, Raytheon Missile Systems Standard Missile program director. "Our customers trust the Raytheon design, because SM-2 variants are the most tested anti-air warfare missiles in service."

Raytheon said the advanced fusing and warhead modifications were built into the SM-2 Block IIIA design to deal with the danger of sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missiles.

"Standard Missile has been the U.S. Navy's primary surface-to-air fleet air defense weapon for more than three decades," said Kirk Johnson, U.S. Navy Standard Missile program manager. "When it comes to engaging anti-ship cruise missiles, aircraft or helicopters, the SM-2 remains our go-to weapon."