The Pentagon has announced an extension of the THAAD intercept deadlines in its agreement with Lockheed-Martin from July 16, 1999 until “late July, early August,” said Jennifer Canaff, public affairs officer for the Pentagon’s Ballistic Missile Defense Organization in a recent interview with Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Canaff cited “programatic” reasons and then clarified “for reasons that deal with the program. It was done internally.”

On May 13, 1998, after the THAAD missile defense system failed to hit its target five consecutive times, the Department of Defense (DOD) entered a “cure agreement” with Lockheed-Martin. The agreement created punitive fines if the weapon system continued to fail intercept tests by specified dates.

On March 29, 1999, Lockheed-Martin was fined $15 million following THAAD’s sixth failure. However the latest agreement by Ballistic Missile Defense Organization with Lockheed-Martin will return that punitive fine if THAAD achieves three successful intercepts by December 31, 1999.

Lockheed-Martin was to be fined $20 million unless it could produce two successful intercepts by June 30, 1999. But the deadline was extended to July 16, 1999 following problems with the target missile (HERA) during a test on May 25, 1999.

Canaff explained the first extension: “The technical reason was the HERA” target missile’s malfunction. As for the newest extension, she said that DOD would not state a specific deadline date “right now.”

The next THAAD test is slated for July 26, 1999. The first – and only – successful intercept took place on June 10, 1999 during THAAD’s 7th test flight.  

Contact: Keith Ashdown

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