Boeing, US strengthen ability to destroy long-range ICBMs
As President Donald Trump continued a five-country tour in Asia on Tuesday, where part of his goal is to bolster alliances in the campaign to end North Korea’s nuclear escalation, the U.S. strengthened its defense capabilities against long-range missiles.
Boeing (NYSE:BA) completed the installation of the country’s 44th intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) interceptor on Tuesday, ahead of the Defense Department’s schedule.
“The ballistic missile threat that our partners in the Missile Defense Agency are defending this country from requires always-ready capabilities,” said Norm Tew, Boeing vice president and GMD program director, in a statement. “As the system architect for nearly two decades, Boeing continues to deliver through our expertise in developing, testing and fielding progressively advanced solutions for this vital mission.”
The interceptor can detect, track and destroy ballistic missile threats.
The installment of the final ICBM interceptor for the year comes the day after news broke that President Donald Trump asked Congress for an additional $4 billion in funding to defend against potential North Korean missile attacks at home, or against one of the U.S.’s allies.
Boeing has been the prime contractor for the United States’ ICBM interceptor program since 2001.