Missile Defense Agency

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is a United States Department of Defense research, development, and acquisition agency that develops and deploys layered ballistic missile defense systems to protect the U.S., its deployed forces, allies, and friends from missile attacks in all phases of flight. The agency is responsible for major defense systems including Patriot PAC-3, Aegis BMD, THAAD, and the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system, with a total program cost of $246 billion. MDA does not operate in the drone industry; rather, it focuses exclusively on ballistic missile defense capabilities and related defense technologies.