Use Mothballed Global Hawks For Missile Intercept Say Ex-BPI Programme Managers

An ad hoc team of former programme managers is calling on the Pentagon to adapt the 18 Global Hawk Block 30 UAS, due to be mothballed under current budget plans, for boost-phase intercept (BPI) of ballistic missiles.

They contend that the US could quickly field a flexible, mobile, ultra-smart BPI Hawk anywhere, and in particular place them to fend off nuclear missiles launched from Iran toward Israel or from North Korea into South Korea. Some of the advocates have been working on similar projects since the Strategic Defense Initiative programme developed precursors for the same mission after the first Persian Gulf war.

"The recent cancellation of the Airborne Laser programme leaves the US and its allies with no early intercept capability," says Dale Tietz, former Pentagon BPI programme manager. "Even if allied attacks on Iranian nuclear sites delay nuclear weapons production, BPI Hawk networks could provide a [long-term] picket-fence deterrent. Moreover, having a lethal BPI capability in the U.S. inventory is extremely important to an integrated missile defense system for early tactical ballistic missile destruction. New hypervelocity interceptor designs are now light enough for several to be carried on the BPI Hawk and fast enough to destroy Iranian and North Korean missiles."

All the U.S. needs now is an American sponsor and operator to integrate the components and qualify a system for rapid deployment, but not an expensive acquisition programme, says Len Caveny, a propulsion expert and former Ballistic Missile Defense Office director of science and technology.

Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) said in a hearing this week that storing the Global Hawks in a hangar "is not acceptable," and suggested that the Air Force find another taker. "If the Air Force isn't going to use them, we've got to find a home for them"

Source: Aerospace Daily