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The US Air Force and Lockheed Martin conducted a planned flight test of the unarmed, developmental Mk21A re-entry vehicle in the Pacific Ocean.
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This flight test from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, tested Lockheed Martin’s Mk21A design components and technologies for the vehicle, which is designed to be the US Air Force’s next-generation integrated re-entry vehicle and the critical front-end of the service’s future intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) weapon system.
Jay Watson, vice-president of Strategic Reentry at Lockheed Martin, welcomed the successful test flight of the Mk 21, saying, “This progress is built on a strong foundation – Lockheed Martin’s 65-plus years of demonstrated exceptional performance in re-entry technologies and a pioneering digital engineering approach on this program from its beginning.”
This testing is done through Lockheed Martin’s engineering and manufacturing development contract with the Air Force Nuclear Systems Center. Data collected during the event will further inform Mk21A design and future flight test activities.
“We remain focused on delivering this capability for the warfighter as a trusted partner to the US Air Force for ICBM re-entry systems and modernisation of the deterrent triad,” Watson said.
Lockheed Martin is maturing its Mk21A design, which includes the arming and fusing subsystem and support equipment, using advanced digital engineering tools, including advanced modelling and simulation.
The use of these design technologies allow for efficiency in schedule, reduced cost and risk, and increased confidence in system performance.
