Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile
{{Short description|Anti-ballistic missile weapon}}
File:Navy Theater Ballistic Missile Defense.JPG
The Lightweight Exo-atmospheric Projectile (LEAP) is a lightweight miniaturized kinetic kill vehicle designed to destroy incoming ballistic missiles both inside{{cite book|title=Strategic Defense Initiative: Some Claims Overstated for Early Flight Tests|date = June 1993| publisher=DIANE |isbn = 9781568066776|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Fh4SCiJRiAC&dq=lightweight%20exo-atmospheric%20projectile%20leap%20space%20flight%20test&pg=PA29}} and outside the Earth's atmosphere.Paul Baker, Buster Kelley, Anne Avetissian, Lightweight exo-atmospheric projectile (LEAP) Space Flight Test, June 1992, performance validation, AIAA and SDIO, 2nd Annual Interceptor Technology Conference, Albuquerque, NM, June 6–9, 1993 The warhead is delivered to the interception point by a system such as the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.
History
Development began in 1985 by the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, which pioneered the development of miniaturized kill vehicle technology. It was originally created by the now-defunct Hughes Aircraft Company; the modern versions are developed and built by Raytheon.{{cite web|title=Vehicle, Kinetic Kill, Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile |url=https://www.si.edu/object/vehicle-kinetic-kill-lightweight-exo-atmospheric-projectile%3Anasm_A20050460000 |publisher= National Air and Space Museum |access-date=October 14, 2021 }}