According to this week’s JDW, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency has been studying a concept for an air-launched version of the Northrop Grumman Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI), mated to the B-52H, which would carry two of the 18,000 lb class weapons for boost-phase intercept.
Boeing was asked to support the study in 2005, and re-examined it again last month. The MDA is quoted as saying that, “In the end, [the] assessment was that maintaining an air-based [around the clock] force structure was too costly. Land-based was chosen as the initial basing mode with a planned evolution to sea-basing.”
Would have been a contender for the impressive weapons load thread. 😮
By: sferrin - 15th July 2006 at 18:15
According to this week’s JDW, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency has been studying a concept for an air-launched version of the Northrop Grumman Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI), mated to the B-52H, which would carry two of the 18,000 lb class weapons for boost-phase intercept.
Boeing was asked to support the study in 2005, and re-examined it again last month. The MDA is quoted as saying that, “In the end, [the] assessment was that maintaining an air-based [around the clock] force structure was too costly. Land-based was chosen as the initial basing mode with a planned evolution to sea-basing.”
Would have been a contender for the impressive weapons load thread. 😮
Not to mention putting KS-172 to shame. Yeah, yeah, I know they’re not the same but still an 18,000lb AAM. 😮 <– is right
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July 15, 2006 at 1:09 pm