The Airborne Interceptor Experiment (ABIE) was a joint service exercise flown on July 9, 1996.  The experiment was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of the boost phase intercept of a theater ballistic missile.  ABIE was a huge success according to officials at the Air Force Space and Missile systems Center (SMC) Los Angeles, CA.  The Airborne Interceptor Experiment, conceived and executed by Space Vector under the direction of JHU-APL and SMC was the first of a number of planned experiments with Air Force and Navy units of the U.S. Atlantic Command.  The experiment involved the successful launch of a Space Vector provided Aries Target Launch Vehicle (TLV) from the NASA test range at Wallops Island, VA.  The ABIE-TLV was configured to fly a boost trajectory similar to a real theater ballistic missile. 

As part of the joint exercise, the Aries target was detected and tracked  by Air Force F-15s, Navy F-14s, an Air Force infrared sensor tracking platform, and by fleet surface ships of the U.S. Atlantic Command.  During the ABIE test, data was collected that will be used to develop a system that uses interceptor missiles launched from airborne platforms to shoot down theater ballistic missiles in their boost phase. 

Space Vector's involvement in the program included:

• Development of the flight experiment and demonstrating capability to meet precise timing and vehicle placement requirements,

• Providing the ABIE Aries Target Launch Vehicle including the adaptation of existing subsystems into the ABIE-TLV configuration,

• Performing the launch & flight test operations at NASA-WFF.

ABIE was the thirty-fifth Aries class vehicle launched by Space Vector.  The program was successfully accomplished within a very short period of time to accommodate the availability of training ships and aircraft.