Taking the opportunity for an extended briefing to Fort Bliss, Texas, leadership, MEADS International recently hosted Col. Heidi Brown, Deputy Commanding General, and Col. Bob Delgado, Training and Doctrine Command Capabilities Manager (TCM) for the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery School. The visit covered technical progress on the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) design and plans for testing, training and maintenance.
     In the afternoon, MEADS Integration and Test Lead Roy Woodward led a tour of the MEADS Verification Facility (MVF), which represents a major facility investment by Missiles and Fire Control to support the program. In the year ahead, MEADS personnel will begin system integration tests using advanced simulations. Ultimately, test engineers will fully ground test MEADS fire units prior to flight tests at White Sands Missile Range.
     MEADS is the 21st century replacement for Patriot air and missile defense systems in the United States and Germany and for the Nike Hercules system in Italy. Flight tests are planned to begin in 2011.