Boeing Statement on Competitive Contract for Missile Defense System
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Dec. 2, 2009 -- The Boeing Company today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's intention to pursue a competitive development and sustainment contract for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program:
"Boeing is proud of its role as the prime contractor for the development, operation and sustainment of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system. Boeing has led GMD since its inception, through design, development, fielding and sustaining the system, bringing true missile defense protection to the United States for the first time. Our accomplishments and sustained performance over the past decade have demonstrated that we are the best qualified and the most experienced to lead the industry team, and we intend to continue our uninterrupted support to this critical capability for U.S. national security.
"Our expertise in managing highly complex, integrated and networked systems gives us confidence that we can continue to deliver outstanding system operational availability by providing the lowest risk, highest readiness and most reliable support to this vital system. Boeing remains committed to continuing the development, testing and evolution of GMD, and maintaining and improving this operational capability in the face of new and evolving threats. We will continue to support the requirements that the Missile Defense Agency and U.S. policymakers determine for missile defense for the homeland."
The Huntsville-based GMD program has deployed operational interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and at Fort Greely, Alaska, to defend the United States against long-range ballistic missile threats. An integral element of the global ballistic missile defense system, GMD also consists of radars, other sensors, command-and-control facilities, communications terminals and a 20,000-mile fiber optic communications network, comprising one of the most complex systems ever developed and fielded.
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Contact:
Jessica M. Carlton
Boeing Missile Defense Systems
256-461-5124
jessica.m.carlton@boeing.com
Chuck Cadena
Boeing Missile Defense Systems
703-872-4503
chuck.cadena@boeing.com