Lockheed Martin has received the long-awaited $4 billion contract to proceed with development of the THAAD (Theater High Altitude Air Defense) system. THAAD is designed to shoot down theater ballistic missiles such as SCUD. The contract calls for the company to develop a missile defense system that can be mass produced at an acceptable cost. A second contract is to follow in 2004, with the first deployed unit in 2007 and mass production set for 2008.--Stephen V Cole