Defence

BAE Systems awarded Lockheed Martin THAAD seekers contract

Posted 17 March 2020

BAE Systems has been awarded a contract from Lockheed Martin to design and manufacture next-generation infrared seekers for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon system, providing critical targeting technology that helps protect the US and its allies from ballistic missiles.

Above: Elements of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon system engage ballistic missiles in space.
Courtesy BAE Systems

The sensor design work will improve the missile defence system's ability to neutralise more threats and improve its manufacturability.

"The THAAD seeker is a key product in our precision munitions portfolio that's recognised for its proven intercept capabilities. It demonstrates our ability to deliver advanced targeting and guidance systems for critical precision munitions," said Barry Yeadon, THAAD programme director at BAE Systems. "This award is a testament to our ongoing success with the programme, and enables us to advance our proven design and take the programme into the future in support of the Missile Defense Agency's mission."

The THAAD weapon system intercepts hostile ballistic missiles with kinetic force during their final, or terminal, phase of flight. BAE Systems' seeker provides infrared imagery that guides interceptors to their intended targets, destroying enemy warheads inside or outside the Earth's atmosphere. The company has been developing and producing missile defence seeker technology for more than four decades and has delivered more than 500 THAAD seekers to date.

THAAD is an integral part of the MDA's mission to field an integrated, layered, ballistic missile defence system. Its high-altitude intercept capability mitigates the effects of enemy weapons before they reach the ground, and its non-explosive kinetic impact minimises the risk of detonation. THAAD is a highly effective system for addressing ballistic missile threats.

BAE Systems' THAAD seekers are assembled, integrated, and tested at the company's facilities in Nashua, New Hampshire and Endicott, New York. Portions of the design work for the next-generation seeker technology will be conducted in Huntsville, Alabama, where the company is actively hiring and building a state-of-the-art facility. The THAAD seeker programme provides an opportunity for engineers to join a cutting-edge design program at its early stages in the Rocket City. Those interested in applying should visit https://jobs.baesystems.com/global/en/alabama.