Sensor system on Patriot missile gets test on "zombie" target
NewsDecember 19, 2024
CHANDLER, Ariz. Northrop Grumman reports that it launched a so-called zombie target vehicle variation, known as “Black Dagger,” from Fort Wingate to White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s (USASMDC) LTZ-3 test mission.
The successful test, according to the Northrop Grumman announcement, demonstrated the capabilities of the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS), and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 air defense systems.
Zombie targets repurpose demilitarized solid rocket motors to simulate adversary tactical ballistic missiles while remaining affordable and cutting development time for advanced missile-defense testing.
Northrop Grumman notes that it has -- together with Teledyne Brown Engineering and Peraton, Inc. -- developed, delivered, and successfully launched nine zombie targets as intercept test vehicles for the USASMDC’s Tactical Range Air Defense Missile (TACRAM) contract.
