Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile
(Redirected from Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile (LEAP))
The Lightweight Exo-atmospheric Projectile (LEAP) is a lightweight miniaturized kinetic kill vehicle designed to destroy incoming ballistic missiles both inside[1] or outside the Earth's atmosphere.[2] The warhead is delivered to the interception point by a system such as the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.
History
[edit]Development began in 1985 by the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, which pioneered the development of miniaturized kill vehicle technology. It was originally created by the now-defunct Hughes Aircraft Company; the modern versions are developed and built by Raytheon.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Strategic Defense Initiative: Some Claims Overstated for Early Flight Tests. DIANE. June 1993. ISBN 9781568066776.
- ^ Paul Baker, Buster Kelley, Anne Avetissian, Lightweight exo-atmospheric projectile (LEAP) Space Flight Test, June 1992, performance validation, AIAA and SDIO, 2nd Annual Interceptor Technology Conference, Albuquerque, NM, June 6–9, 1993
- ^ "Vehicle, Kinetic Kill, Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile". National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
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