The White Sands Missile Range, formerly known as the Proving Grounds, confirmed one of Teledyne Brown Engineering’s latest missiles is on point.

The Targets Division of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s (USASMDC) recently tested the latest in a series of target missiles developed by Teledyne Brown. The Economical Target (ET-2) missile was launched safely and successfully.

According to Teledyne, the ET-2 missiles are one of several affordable targets developed under the Tactical Range Air Defense Missile (TACRAM) program. The engineering firm goes on to say the ET-2 target missiles are fin-stabilized, single-stage vehicles that represent a ballistic missile threat.

Furthermore, as the prime contractor for TACRAM and ET-2, Teledyne designs and builds these flexible target missiles for testing advanced air and missile defense systems for domestic and international programs.

“This latest addition and test launch for the TACRAM program is proof of a successful partnership between Teledyne Brown Engineering and SMDC,” said Jan Hess, president of Teledyne Brown Engineering. “We have been able to deliver a flexible, affordable, and effective product solution in a timely and efficient way, enabling our customer to provide our nation with more advanced missile defense systems.”

Target missiles are guided missiles used for testing and development of other systems.

Teledyne’s stated that the latest launch from White Sands Missile Range was “a risk reduction flight to prove out the new design that will be used to exercise ballistic missile defense systems. This is the first successful ET-2 flight and the tenth successful launch for the TACRAM family of target missiles.”

Teledyne claims its TACRAM family of threat realistic products “continues to reduce cost and cycle time for ballistic missile testing. The TACRAM family of solutions includes the single-stage four-meter Sabre Zombie, the single-stage six-meter Pathfinder Zombie, the two-stage six-meter Black Dagger Zombie and the fin-stabilized ET-2.

“TACRAM reduces the cost of Army and missile defense programs’ test and evaluation efforts for missile defense assets. Currently, there have been 10 target missiles delivered with ongoing orders being manufactured.’’