Lockheed Martin successfully tests future ICBM reentry vehicle
Credit Lockheed Martin
The US Air Force and Lockheed Martin have successfully completed a test flight of its unarmed, developmental Mk21A reentry vehicle, launching over the Pacific Ocean from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The Mk21A is the US Air Force’s next-generation integrated reentry vehicle, serving as the front-end payload for the nation's future intercontinental ballistic missile system (ICBM).
The flight demonstrated the maturity of the vehicle's architecture and validated next-generation reentry technologies. It leveraged data from previous tests as well as digital engineering frameworks to accelerate development, a Lockheed Martin statement said.
"Data harvested from the most recent flight test will directly inform ongoing design refinements and shape future testing as the programme maintains steady momentum toward system-level Critical Design Review (CDR), " it added.
Jason Watson, vice president of Strategic Reentry Programmes for Lockheed Martin, said, “Building on flight data from our prior tests, we are directly translating real-world experience into programme momentum, ensuring the Mk21A reentry vehicle delivers uncompromised performance for the Air Force."
