Ballistic Missile Defense Midcourse Segment Test

The Ballistic Missile Defense Midcourse Defense Segment Test program, managed by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), is a critical element of the Department of Defense's efforts to ensure the effectiveness and resilience of the United States' homeland missile defense. The primary goals of this program are to plan, design, and execute a comprehensive suite of flight, ground, and cyber tests for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system. These tests are intended to demonstrate the integrated capability of the GMD system to counter evolving ballistic missile threats and to provide data supporting decisions on hardware and software fielding.

MT08: Midcourse Test is the main budget line within this program element, focusing on the execution of integrated test activities. The objectives include conducting operationally realistic flight tests to validate the performance and interoperability of GMD hardware and software, both in laboratory environments and with deployed assets. These tests are performed in coordination with Missile Defense System Sensors, Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC), United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) Warfighters, and national collection assets.

The program also executes ground tests in Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWIL) labs and operational environments to collect integrated performance data, which informs fielding and upgrade decisions. A significant component of the MT08 line is the emphasis on cyber testing. The program conducts both developmental and adversarial cyber assessments, including Cooperative Vulnerability Identification (CVI), Adversarial Cybersecurity Developmental Test & Evaluation (ACD), Cooperative Vulnerability and Penetration Assessment (CVPA), and Adversarial Assessment (AA). These activities are designed to evaluate the cyber resilience and survivability of the GMD system against current and emerging threats, ensuring that the system remains robust in the face of sophisticated cyber attacks.

The Resources sub-element provides the necessary infrastructure and laboratory environments to support all phases of testing, including integration, execution, and post-event analysis. This includes upgrades to hardware and software in test labs, support for test planning and execution at key facilities such as Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center (MDIOC), and the Readiness and Control Facility at Fort Greely, Alaska. The program also ensures that communication networks and test equipment are upgraded to support increasingly complex test scenarios, particularly as the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) is integrated into the GMD system.

Ground Test Execution is another major objective, providing government and industry personnel for the planning, integration, execution, and analysis of ground and cyber tests. These efforts include sprint planning, readiness assessments, and post-mission analysis, all of which are essential for validating system performance and supporting timely fielding of upgrades. The program also supports the execution of cyber test campaigns to assess vulnerabilities and enhance system resilience.

Program Operations supports the technical and business management aspects of the test program, including financial management, cost and schedule analysis, configuration management, and compliance with policies and regulations. This ensures that the program meets its cost, schedule, and performance goals, and that mission assurance processes such as quality and safety are rigorously maintained. Program Operations also provides integrated logistics and cyber security support for the test program.

The MD40: Program Wide Support line item covers non-headquarters management costs and general support functions for the MDA. This includes funding for government civilians, contract support services, global deployment support, facility operations, security, audit readiness, STEM programs, and compliance with statutory requirements. These activities are essential for maintaining the integrity, oversight, and operational readiness of the entire Missile Defense System enterprise, and are allocated on a pro-rata basis across multiple MDA program elements.