“Excalibur” Ltd. For many years, Bristol Aerospace of ian infrastructure. Winnipeg, Manitoba, a division of Raytheon considers the Magellan Aerospace Corp., has sup- Patriot to be “the corner- plied two types of for use as stone of air defense for the targets in testing/training exercises for new millenium.”5 the U.S. “missile defense” weapons Bristol’s promotional lit- program: (1) the Excalibur Target and erature proclaims that the (2) the . Excalibur target: “is considered an ex- (1) The Excalibur Target cellent representation The Canadian-made Excalibur Target of a Scud-type ballis- System is a two-stage ballistic rocket tic missile and is fast whose flight “may be tailored to simu- becoming a preferred late various threats.” The lower target of choice for the “booster” segment of the rocket, i.e., training of Patriot units. its first phase, uses solid-propellant The targets are Instrumentation & Training Simulation, for Office Exec. Program fuel for the initial launch. Once airborne, launched at a nominal the second or “dart” segment of the elevation angle of 82.5 degrees and reach an www.peostri.army.mil/PRODUCTS/TBMTT rocket then separates from the booster. Army, U.S. altitude of approxi- It carries sophisticated electronic radar Bristol Aerospace’s two-stage, ballistic equipment called the Radio Frequency mately 90 km. The flight Signature Augmentation System (RF trajectories of the tar- missile, dubbed “Excalibur,” is used as SAS).1 This equipment electronically gets take them down a target in U.S. “missile defense” enlarges the target’s radar cross-sec- range 50 km where the weapons testing and training exercises. tion in order to mimic larger missiles.2 Patriot units track the The RF SAS is manufactured by incoming targets. If a target is con- U.S. government documents Boeing, the number-one ranking com- sidered a ballistic missile threat, they record a contract for pany within the “The Big Four” U.S. will launch an intercept missile and “four Excalibur Targets...to assist the prime contractors for “missile defense” detonate a warhead to destroy the 108th Brigade in conducting a Pa- weapons. The Excalibur dart was origi- target.”6 triot live-fire at McGregor Range, nally “developed and manufactured...as Excalibur targets have been ....on 3-4 May 2000.” a High-Altitude Supersonic Target for used in “missile defense” testing/train- This was awarded to Bristol as a “sole the Canadian Navy.”3 ing programs since July 1999. At that source contract.” The reason no other The Canadian Navy’s creation time, during NORAD’s “Roving Sands companies were asked to bid on this and production of the original Excalibur Air Defense Firing Exercise,” Bristol’s job was because the U.S. Directorate dart, funded by the Canadian taxpayer, Excalibur was of Contracting at Fort Bliss Texas con- was like launching the booster phase “used in the first ever TBM [Theater sidered Bristol to be of a rocket whose secondary segment Ballistic Missile] target engagement “the only vendor currently capable now serves the testing needs of the U.S. at the McGregor Range, New of producing a target that can dupli- “missile defense” weapons program. Mexico. Three Excalibur targets were cate a Tactical Ballistic Missile simu- successfully launched. They were lation for the Patriot missile system.” detected, tracked, and classified as Bristol was contracted to supply the Excalibur’s Role threat TBMs.”7 targets as well as “associated services” in “Missile Defense” The rest, as they say, is history: such as “necessary personnel, tools Bristol’s Excalibur targets are used to “In May 2000, the U.S. Army 108th and equipment required to conduct the simulate enemy missiles in order to test Air Defense Brigade...successfully live-fire training.”9 Patriot missiles and to train their opera- employed five Excalibur targets dur- In March 2001, Bristol’s parent tors. The Patriot Air and Missile ing an exercise at McGregor company, Magellan Aerospace, issued Defense System, built by Raytheon and Range.”8 a media release to announce that the Lockheed Martin “is the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile world’s advanced Bristol Aerospace Limited Command would again be us- ground-based air defense sys- (A Division of Magellan Aerospace Corp.) ing Bristol’s Excalibur Target tem.” The U.S. Department of 660 Berry Street System as “targets for live-fire Defense has spent over US$3 Winnipeg, MB R3C 2S4 training of tactical Patriot Phone: 204- 775 8331 billion on the Patriot Missile units.” Bristol had by then Fax: 204- 885 3195 4 System since the 1991 war that Email: [email protected] teamed up with Boeing, the destroyed much of Iraq’s civil- Web: www.bristol.ca world’s number one prime con- 28 Press for Conversion! (Issue # 56) June 2005 “Black Brant” tractor for “missile defense” weapons that can carry payloads development. With Bristol as Boeing’s of between “70 and 850 “principal subcontractor,” their “pursuit kilograms to altitudes of the Theater Ballistic Missile target from 150 to more than market” was successful. The vice presi- 1,500 kilometers.” The dent and general manager of Boeing’s various versions of this Weapons Programs, Mike Marks, called rocket are said to belong Bristol’s Excaliber Target “a key train- to the “Black Brant fam- ing tool for the U.S. Army.”10 ily.” Members of this By 2002, Bristol was reporting “family” now range in that it had designed and tested a new size from the single-stage motor for the Excalibur target rocket and BBV, which is about 5.3 that it had “a five-year contract to sup- metres long and 0.44 me- ply targets to the U.S. Army for Patriot ters in diameter, to the training exercises.”11 BBXII, which is a much more powerful, four- (2) Black Brant Rockets stage vehicle.16 Prior to its career Besides the Excaliber Target System, www.space.gc.ca/asc/img/fusee-black-brant.jpg Bristol Aerospace makes another tar- as a “missile defense” get to test weapons for the U.S. “mis- test target, the BB had a Agency sile defense” program. The Canadian- long history of employ- made Black Brant (BB) rocket has been ment by the U.S. military. used many times in a variety of “mis- However, it was thanks sile defense” testing/training exercises. to the Canadian govern- ment that the BB pro- A Bristol publication happily looks for- Space Canadian ward to a lucrative future of manufac- gram got its start. (The turing BBs for this purpose. It contains Canadian government The “Black Brant,” developed for the an article stating that: has always been ready to government’s Canadian Armaments Re- “a new market has slowly developed use this country’s scien- search and Development Establishment, over the years. Several new theatre tific, engineering and fi- has been used by ’s military, the nancial resources to help ballistic missile defence systems are U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force either in use or in development. The subsidize America’s un- Black Brant has been used success- quenchable military and NASA. As usual, Canadian taxpay- fully for some of these systems and needs.) ers are subsidising U.S. military needs. the company [Bristol] continues to In 1958, thanks to It has been used since at least 1998 explore new opportunities in this the Canadian govern- for “missile defense” weapons tests. market.... the story of this Bristol- ment, the rocket later made rocket will continue into the known as Black Brant was first launched not only been kept alive – thanks to 21st century.”12 at the Fort Churchill Rocket and Re- subsidies from these and other Cana- Not surprisingly, the Canadian search Range in northern Manitoba.17 dian and U.S. government agencies – it government was the driving force pro- This facility was jointly built by the Ca- has grown into a powerful rocket sys- pelling the initial creation of the BB in nadian and U.S. governments.18 tem that is now aiding the development the late 1950s. And, it was the Cana- The Canadian Armament Re- of the most advanced weapons sys- dian military that came up with this rock- search and Development Establishment tems of the future through the so called et’s first mission. Since then, the gov- (CARDE) had created a new solid rocket “missile defense” program. ernment has continued to support Bris- propellant and therefore needed a new The U.S. Navy tested BB III tol’s ongoing refinement of the BB. rocket to test it out.19 rockets in 1963, 1965 and 1966. NASA Bristol Aerospace literature BB’s first mission was to “char- and the U.S. Air Force have also con- boasts that the BB is “the most reliable acterize the in order to im- tracted Bristol to build later BB family suborbital rocket in the world today.”13 prove military communications.”20 members, and NASA still regularly buys During its near half-century of use, To get the BB program off the Bristol’s BBs. about 80014 of these sub-orbital, ground, the Canadian government’s Between 1967 and 1972, the U.S. unguided rockets have been launched CARDE came together with private in- Army purchased some of Bristol’s BB from 21 locations around the world.15 dustries’ Bristol to give birth to their VI and BB VII rockets for their testing This “expendable launch vehicle” is a BB. The three first users of the BB were programs. Through the 1980s and 1990s “” designed to carry CARDE, the Defense Research Tel- to the present, the U.S. Navy and Air scientific instruments. It has been used ecommunications Establishment and Force have continued to avail them- for a wide variety of civilian and mili- the National Research Council of selves of this little-known Canadian in- tary uses and comes in a variety of sizes Canada. Over the years their baby has vention.21 June 2005 (Issue # 56) Press for Conversion! 29 In the 1950s, the Canadian govern- ment paid Bristol to build rockets Black Brant’s role for military and scientific purposes. in “Missile Defense” By the early 1960s, Bristol was (1) White Sands selling a version called the Black Since about 1969, nearly 300 BBs have Brant. By the early 1970s, this been launched at the White Sands Mis- government-subsidised work had led sile Range in New Mexico.22 “Missile defense” weapons tests using these to Bristol’s 2.75" (70mm) CRV7 Canadian rockets have been conducted missile, which is still fired from many at this weapons testing range since at U.S. warplanes. In fact, according least 1997. to Bristol, its ground-attack CRV7 White Sands is a unique, U.S. is the world’s highest-performing, 70- “tri-service” missile testing range, run jointly by the U.S. Army, Navy and Air mm rocket weapon and has become Force. It is the proud home of “Trin- the West’s de-facto standard. It is ity.” This U.S. “national historic land- carries a variety of payloads mark” marks the still-radioactive loca- including anti-armour and incendiary tion where, on July 16, 1945, “the world warheads, as well as the M261, a High changed with the explosion of the first atomic bomb.”23 Explosive Multipurpose Submunition The White Sands Missile that is specifically designed to Range is often glowingly described as “optimize fragment size against the “birthplace of America’s space pro- personnel.” Bravo Canada! gram” not only because of the 1945 [sic]/Black Brant) at Trinity explosion but also because it White Sands Missile CRV7 was there that the “father of the U.S. 26 Range.” air-to-ground space program,” Nazi rocket scientist The Terrier/Black Brant Wernher Von Braun and hundreds of “uses a Terrier rocket as missiles his fellow German scientists were reu- a booster [first stage] nited immediately after WWII. Their and a Black Brant V mission was to continue to develop the rocket as a sustainer V2 “buzz bombs” that had so effectively [second stage].”27 killed thousands of Britons. Six months later, in In 1997 and 1998, there were at April 1999, another THAAD tracking Martin Missiles and Space, and The least two dozen U.S. military test test took place at White Sands. It also Raytheon Company is the contrac- launches of Bristol’s Canadian-made used a Terrier/Black Brant rocket as the tor for the THAAD Radar. BB rockets at White Sands.24 target to be tracked by the THAAD The THAAD program is managed An unknown number of the BB system radar. This time, the rocket was and funded by BMDO [Ballistic Mis- launches during those years were “mis- “flown by the U.S. Navy.” This “target sile Defense Organization] and ex- sile defense”-related. According to Ot- of opportunity,” it was being launched ecuted by the Army Program Execu- tawa Citizen reporter David Pugliese, as part of a “NASA Wide-Field Imaging tive Office for Air & Missile Defense these tests were done Survey Polarimeter Experiment.” and the Army THAAD Project Man- “to understand the characteristics of The THAAD radar-testing mis- ager in Huntsville, Alabama.”28 heat that is produced by a missile’s sions of September 1998 and April 1999 engine. The data gathered was used “were conducted utilizing the to determine more sophisticated [THAAD] radar’s final tactical con- (2) 25 More recently, Bristol’s Canadian-made ways to track and target missiles.” figuration software, thus further ad- Black Brant rockets have also been Other sources confirm the use vancing the radar’s deployment used at another U.S. rocket launch site of BB rockets for “missile-defense” test- readiness. The THAAD Radar Prod- called the Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) ing at White Sands during that period. uct Office and Raytheon will con- at Wallops Island, Virginia. The WFF, For example, in September of 1998, The tinue to take advantage of available which is the principal test facility of Eagle, published by the U.S. Air Force, targets of opportunity. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Space and Missile Defense Command The THAAD radar is one seg- has been launching Canada’s BBs for in Huntsville, Alabama, published an ment of the THAAD system. The more than 40 years. This tradition article stating that entire system is being developed to started in December 1961 when “On [September] the 18th, the defend personnel and assets from “the Canadian Defence Research THAAD [Theater High Altitude Area medium and long-range missiles car- Board shifted the firing site from Fort Defense] Radar successfully tracked rying weapons of mass destruction. Churchill because a fire largely de- a NASA rocket launch (a Terrior The prime contractor is Lockheed 30 Press for Conversion! (Issue # 56) June 2005 stroyed the Canadian facilities.”29 Although Granone somehow by CARDE and DRDC who have, over On May 30 and June 2, 2003, the turned this simple, yet potentially- the decades, worked with Bristol to de- so-called “Red Dog Project” reached grave, error into fawning praise for the sign, develop and produce Canada’s BB its climax. These “missile defense” tests “missile defense” test participants, he “family” of rockets. For that matter, the used BB IX rockets as targets to test: did make an error of his own. Granone Canadian public should also have been “air-, land-, space and sea-based should have also applauded the good acknowledged by Granone for their cru- Missile Defense Agency (MDA) people at Bristol Aerospace who built cial financial role in this “missile sensors. This sensor data [was] used the BB rockets that were so useful in defense” weapons testing program. by MDA in the development of ad- what he called the “successful execu- Afterall, it was Canadian taxpayers vanced sensors and detection algo- tion of the Advanced Systems (Red who, knowingly or not, provided the rithms for future missile defense sys- Dog) Flight Tests.”34 And, to be fair, cash to subsidise the BB missile pro- tems.”30 Granone should also have thanked the gram for almost fifty years. The “Red Dog Project,” which many government scientists employed was initiated in January 2002, cost more than US$2 million. Although the project References “customer” was the MDA, several 1. “Boeing/Bristol Team and Win Army 18. Space Rocket Launch Sites Around the other actors also played roles. The WFF Target Program,” Magellan Aerospace, World partnered with at least the following to March 26, 2001. www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/ implement the MDA’s “flight tests”: www.defense-aerospace.com/produit/ Spaceports/LaunchSites.html • Space & Missile Defense Command 4833_us.html 19. Black Brant, op.cit. • Coast Guard 2. Advanced Concept Technology Dem- 20. Ibid. onstrations 21. Ibid. • Massachusetts Institute of Technol- www.acq.osd.mil/actd/text/ 22. Ibid. ogy/Lincoln Labs print_descript.htm 23. Trinity Site, White Sands Missile Range • Surface Combat Systems Center 3. “Boeing/Bristol Team and Win Army website • Patriot [Missile] Project Office Target Program,” op. cit. www.wsmr.army.mil/pao/TrinitySite/ Additional support for “Red 4. Patriot Missile System trinst.htm Dog” was provided by: www.raytheon.com/products/static/ 24. Black Brant, op. cit. • NASA Sounding Rocket Operations node3832.html 25. David Pugliese, “NRC vital to missile Contract [Agency] (vehicles and 5. Patriot - Combat Proven Air and Mis- shield plan: Scientists’ work goes ahead payloads) sile Defense even without PM’s endorsement.” Ot- www.raytheon.com/businesses/stellent/ tawa Citizen, January 10, 2000. • NASA Consolidated Space Opera- groups/public/documents/legacy_site/ www.ottawacitizen.com/national/ tions Contract [Agency] (ground cms01_048575.pdf 010110/5075746.html data and tracking systems) 6. First Flight of Bristol’s New Excalibur 26. Sharon Watkins-Lang, “Behind every • Computer Sciences Corp. (analytical, Rocket Motor, SCISAT-1 Satellite Bus success there is a history,” The Eagle, safety and project management) Unveilled. September 1998. • Dyncor (airport management and www.bristol.ca/Downloads/ www.smdc.army.mil/PubAff/99Eagle/ tower support)31 July%202002.pdf thaadspecial.pdf 7. “Boeing/Bristol Team and Win Army 27. White Sands Missile Range, Pennsyl- In an article highlighting the first Target Program,” op. cit. vania State Department of Astronomy “Red Dog” flight test, in the official 8. ibid. and Astrophysics publication of NASA’s WFF, Jess F. 9. Commerce Business Daily Issue, March www.astro.psu.edu/xray/rockets/ Granone, director of the Space and Mis- 30, 2000 PSA#2568 standing_rockets.html sile Defense Technical Center, express- www.fbodaily.com/cbd/archive/2000/ 28. Media Release, “THAAD Radar Con- ed his profound appreciation for assist- 03(March)/30-Mar-2000/14sol001.htm tinues to Shine,” April 14, 1999. U.S. ance from various corporate and gov- 10. “Boeing/Bristol Team and Win Army Army Program Executive Office, Air and ernment team. He made sure to praise Target Program,” op. cit. Missile Defense. them all for their 11. First Flight of Bristol’s New Excalibur www..army.mil/pub_affairs/ar- Rocket Motor, op. cit. chive/1999/04Apr1999/news/ “dedicated contributions [that] pro- 12. Ken Kohut, “Dedication of Black Brant 041599143340.html vided critical insight for future Bal- Outside CSA Headquarters,” News 29. Black Brant, op. cit. listic Missile Defense System devel- Briefs, December 2002. (A Bristol Aero- 30. NASA Power Point presentation on the opment and testing.”32 space Publication.) Red Dog Project He noted that: www.bristol.ca/Downloads/ www.wff..gov/code840/public/ “During final testing of the Flight 1B December%202002.pdf proj_reddog.ppt payload, it was discovered that the 13. Ibid. 31. Ibid. wiring to deploy two of the experi- 14. Black Brant 32. Jess F. Granone, “Thanks NASA, ments was reversed. The outstand- www.astronautix.com/lvs/blabrant.htm NSROC and CSOC Team,” Inside Wal- 15. Kohut, op. cit. lops, September 22, 2003 ing support of the team in identify- 16. 2005 U.S. Commercial Space Transpor- www.wff.nasa.gov/news/newsletters/ ing, rewiring and retesting of the tation Developments and Concepts w20030922.pdf payload was critical to the success ast.faa.gov/files/pdf/2005_dev_con.pdf. 33. Ibid. of these missions.”33 17. Black Brant, op.cit. 34. Ibid. June 2005 (Issue # 56) Press for Conversion! 31