Editing Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle

{{Short description|Interceptor part of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense manufactured by Raytheon}}
[[File:Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle prototype.jpg|thumb|right|Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle prototype]]

The '''Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle''' ('''EKV''') is the [[Raytheon]]-manufactured interceptor component with subcontractor [[Aerojet]] of the U.S. [[Ground-Based Midcourse Defense]] (GMD), part of the larger [[National Missile Defense]] system.

The EKV is boosted to an intercept trajectory by a boost vehicle (missile), where it separates from the boost vehicle and autonomously collides with an incoming warhead.

The EKV is launched by the [[Ground-Based Interceptor]] (GBI) missile, the [[launch vehicle]] of the GMD system. The EKV's own rockets and fuel are for corrections in the trajectory, not for further acceleration.

The successor to the EKV, known as the Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV), was scheduled to debut in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tucson.com/business/icbm-target-downed-in-key-test-of-missile-defense-raytheon/article_bb1da10a-d726-593d-a3e6-07f8f74f3748.html|title=ICBM target downed in key test of missile defense, Raytheon warhead|last=Wichner|first=David|website=Arizona Daily Star|date=26 March 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-03-26}}</ref> The RKV program, headed by [[Boeing]] and lead [[subcontractor]] Raytheon, was canceled by the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] on August 21, 2019. Earlier in the year, the Pentagon had issued a stop work order on the project following a design review deferment in December 2018 due to the failure of critical components meeting technical specification.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-defense-boeing-kill-vehicle/pentagon-ends-boeing-kill-vehicle-contract-cites-technical-problems-idUSKCN1VB2IT|title=Pentagon ends Boeing 'kill vehicle' contract, cites technical problems|last=Pietsch|first=Bryan|website=Reuters|date=21 August 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-08-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=USAspending.gov |url=https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_HQ014712C0004_9700_-NONE-_-NONE- |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=www.usaspending.gov |language=en}}</ref>

Raytheon is contracted to sustain, upgrade, and repair the EKV through 2034 until after the deployment of the [[Next generation interceptor (NGI)|Next Generation Interceptor (NGI)]], which will start to replace the EKV in 2030.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Redacted ESC J-A.pdf |url=https://www.highergov.com/document/redacted-esc-j-a-pdf-659c2a/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=www.highergov.com}}</ref>

==Characteristics==
* Weight: approx. 140&nbsp;lb (64&nbsp;kg)
* Length: 55 in (4&nbsp;ft. 7 in.) (1.4 m)
* Diameter: 24 in (2&nbsp;ft.) (0.6 m)
* Speed of projectile: roughly 10&nbsp;km/s (22,000&nbsp;mph)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/rtnwcm/groups/rms/documents/content/rtn_rms_ps_ekv_datasheet.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=February 27, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229105017/http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/rtnwcm/groups/rms/documents/content/rtn_rms_ps_ekv_datasheet.pdf |archivedate=December 29, 2009 }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Anti-ballistic missile]]
* [[Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* https://web.archive.org/web/20080315061300/http://www.raytheon.com/products/ekv/
* https://archive.today/20060314045159/http://www.oss.goodrich.com/ExoatmosphericKillVehicle.shtml

[[Category:Space weapons]]
[[Category:Raytheon Company products]]


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