Whether or not tomorrow's U.S. test to destroy an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) succeeds or fails, the program to boost the effectiveness of the U.S.' anti-ballistic defense will continue to focus on developing multiple kill vehicles (MKVs), otherwise known as multi-object kill vehicles (MOKV).

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The U.S. Air Force resurrected its multiple kill vehicle program in 2015 as the MOKV after the original MKV was terminated in 2009.

A few days ago, Boeing received a $58.6 million, 35-month contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to test its evolved MOKV technology. Boeing's MOKV technology increases an interceptors' ability to locate and destroy incoming missiles.

Its MOKV system consists of a carrier vehicle with on-board sensors and a number of kill vehicles. The vehicles can be cued to destroy specific objects in a cluster of missile threats.

"Our MOKV concept gives the Missile Defense Agency flexibility in eliminating threats more efficiently and affordably," said Paul Geery, vice president of Mission Solutions, Phantom Works.

"We've created a robust, resilient design that benefits from our extensive experience in advanced seekers."

U.S. Navy Vice Adm. James Syring, head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, said MOKV is a step forward from the Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV) now being developed by his command.

Adm. Syring wants an MOKV that's more reliable, more producible, more effective, easier to maintain, and cheaper to build than the current kill vehicle, the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV), which only has a 50 percent successful interception record.

He said MOKV is intended to destroy multiple objects simultaneously. MOKV will solve one of the most prominent criticisms of the EKV: the inability to differentiate between missile warheads and decoys (or penetration aids) and other objects.

"If you can put more kill vehicles on an interceptor, the better chance you have of reducing the number of shots you need to defeat the threat," said Gen. Syring.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon in August 2016 won study contracts worth $9.7 million each to develop MOKV concepts.

Tagsmultiple kill vehicles, multi-object kill vehicles, MOKV, U.S. Air Force, Boeing, Missile Defense Agency