Personnel at the facility will work on Battle Management Command, Control and Communications (BMC3) and interfacing with the Joint National Test Facility and United States Space Command. Employment at the Colorado Springs facility is estimated to reach 200 as Boeing progresses through development and proceeds toward deployment.

"We recognize the importance of having a facility in Colorado Springs dedicated to NMD," said Dr. John Peller, Boeing NMD LSI vice president and program manager. "This facility will enable us to increase our contingent that has been located at the Joint National Test Facility at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado."

The NMD program involves the development, testing and potential deployment of a system to detect, track and destroy incoming Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles before reaching the United States. The system is designed to protect all 50 states against a small-scale attack.

The Boeing Company, as prime contractor, is responsible for the development and integration of the NMD elements, including the Ground-Based Interceptor; X-Band Radars; BMC3; Upgraded Early Warning Radars; and interfaces to Space-Based Infrared System satellites.

Major team members of the NMD LSI program include Raytheon, responsible for the exoatmospheric kill vehicle and NMD radars; TRW, developing the BMC3, and Lockheed Martin, responsible for providing the Payload Launch Vehicle to be used in the initial intercept flight tests. The NMD LSI contract was awarded to Boeing in April 1998.