MDA officially opens BMDS data terminal at Ft. Drum

By John Liang / July 28, 2016 at 5:05 PM

The Missile Defense Agency and the Army recently completed the installation of a ground-based communications terminal meant to transmit target updates to and receive data from in-flight Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicles.

Brig. Gen. William T. Cooley, MDA program executive for programs and integration, said: "This state-of-the-art facility has enhanced our ability to deter or defeat the limited use of long-range ballistic missiles against our nation. It is a vital asset provided to U.S. Northern Command to execute their critically important homeland defense mission."

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held July 21 at Ft. Drum, NY, where the In-Flight Interceptor Communications System (IFICS) data terminal is based.

MDA has five other such terminals in operation at Ft. Greely and Shemya, AK, as well as Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Construction on the data terminal began in August 2013, and U.S. Northern Command accepted the site for operational use last December.

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