Missile defense

Missile defense

Measures designed to detect, identify, track, and defeat attacking (ballistic) missiles in both strategic and theater tactical roles, during any portion of their flight trajectory (boost, post-boost, midcourse, or terminal) or to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of such attack.

Industry: Military

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Missile defense

blast wave

Military; Missile defense

A sharply defined wave of increased pressure rapidly propagated through a surrounding medium from a center of detonation or similar disturbance.

cryptology

Military; Missile defense

The science that deals with hidden, disguised, or encrypted communications. It includes communications security and communications intelligence.

wavelength

Military; Missile defense

The distance between two points having the same phase in two consecutive cycles of a periodic wave, along a line in the direction of propagation.

cease fire

Military; Missile defense

A command given to refrain from firing on, but to continue to track objects. Missiles already in flight will be permitted to continue to intercept.

beam width

Military; Missile defense

The angle between the directions, on either side of the axis, at which the intensity of the radio frequency field drops to one-half the value it has on the axis.

redundancy

Military; Missile defense

The inclusion of duplicate or alternate system elements to improve operational reliability by ensuring continued operation in the event that a primary element fails.

skunkworks

Military; Missile defense

A separate program management operation established to operate outside the normal process, either to expedite development or because of high security classification.