Standard Missile-2 Block IVA analysis and test

Standard Missile-2 Block IVA is being developed to provide a Theater Ballistic Missile Defense capability for the Navy. The need to achieve high lethality against tactical ballistic missile threats has dictated a Block IVA missile configuration embodying low guidance noise, rapid missile response time, and a forward-looking fuze concept. As Technical Direction Agent to the Navy for Standard Missile, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) provided top-level requirements for the Block IVA Program and continues to provide an independent assessment of the Block IVA design through analysis, simulation, and testing. Three specific areas of APL involvement exemplify contributions to the Block IVA Program: (1) system-level simulation and analysis, (2) guidance section hardware and software testing, and (3) infrared seeker dome testing. Improvements developed as a result of these systems engineering activities are key to ensuring that the Block IVA design meets its overall system requirements. (Author)