Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception, and also the destruction of attacking missiles. Conceived as a defense against nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), its application has broadened to include shorter-ranged non-nuclear tactical and theater missiles.

The Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) mission is to develop and deploy a layered Missile Defense System to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies, and friends from missile attacks in all phases of flight.

The term "national missile defense" has several meanings: (Most common, but now deprecated:) U.S. National Missile Defense, the limited ground-based nationwide antimissile system in development since the 1990s. In 2002 this system was renamed to Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD), to differentiate it from other missile defense programs, [1] such as space …

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is a component of the United States government's Department of Defense responsible for developing a comprehensive defense against ballistic missiles. It had its origins in the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) which was established in 1983 by Ronald Reagan and which was headed by Lt. General James Alan Abrahamson .

Defense Primer: U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense Ballistic missiles fielded by China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia could threaten the U.S. homeland, U.S. forces abroad, and U.S. allies and partners. These missiles constitute one subset of the diverse array of aerial threats facing the United States, including crewed aircraft,

What are missile defense systems specifically trying to defend against? What makes up a missile defense system? Are all missile defense systems currently only for ballistic missile defense? Can a missile defense system intercept a missile in all stages of flight?

Jan 28, 2025 · The Executive Order directs implementation of a next-generation missile defense shield for the United States against ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles, and other next-generation ...

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is a research, development, and acquisition agency within the Department of Defense. Our workforce includes government civilians, military service members, and contractor personnel in multiple locations around the world.

Since ballistic missiles have different ranges, speeds, size and performance characteristics, the Ballistic Missile Defense System is an integrated, "layered" architecture that provides multiple opportunities to destroy missiles and their warheads before they can reach their targets.

The United States is developing, testing, and deploying missile defenses to counter missiles of all ranges – short-, medium-, intermediate-, and intercontinental-range.