The Missile Defense Agency in recent days awarded Boeing a three-year, $150 million contract modification to produce four additional boost vehicles for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system.

GMD is the only defense program capable of protecting the entire U.S. homeland, including Alaska and Hawaii, against long-range ballistic missile attacks.

Boeing manages the vital national security program in Huntsville and has led the industry team since the inception of the GMD program in 1998 with engineers and experts who work in Alabama.

As the prime contractor, Boeing designs, produces, integrates, tests and sustains all GMD components deployed across 15 time zones. Boeing also provides training, equipment production and operations support services.

GMD interceptors are designed to track long-range ballistic missile threats and use collision force to destroy the target.

Boeing’s total GMD contract now stands at $11,487,396,890.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn