US downs dummy ballistic missile in successful test (Agencies) Updated: 2005-02-25 10:34
A missile fired from a U.S. Navy ship off Kauai, Hawaii, intercepted and
destroyed a mock warhead on Thursday, the fifth success in six such test of the
fledgling U.S. anti-missile shield's sea-based leg, the Pentagon announced.
"We had a successful hit-to-kill intercept," said Richard Lehner, a spokesman
for the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency.
 A
modified Minuteman II missile -or 'target vehicle'- leaves a vapor trail
across the sky shortly after lift off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA,
to be intercepted by a 'kill vehicle' missile launched off of the Marshall
Islands in the South
Pacific.[AFP/File] | The target was tracked
from the cruiser Lake Erie using the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Weapon
System developed by Lockheed Martin Corp. It was launched from the U.S. Pacific
Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, Kauai.
The ship fired a Standard Missile (SM)-3 at the target outside the earth's
atmosphere during the descent phase of flight, Lockheed said. Raytheon Co. is
developing the SM-3.
The Defense Department plans to field up to 30 SM-3 missiles on
Aegis-equipped ships by 2007 to destroy short- and medium-range ballistic
missiles in mid-flight. Other systems are being developed to defend at different
stages.
For the ground-based mid-course leg of ballistic missile defense, managed for
the Pentagon by Boeing Co., five of eight shoot down tests have been completed
successfully.
Interceptor missiles failed to launch from their silos in the last two
ground-based tests because of hardware and software glitches.
The Pentagon plans to spend roughly $10 billion a year over the next five
years on all aspects of missile defense. The initial "layered" shield is
designed to thwart missiles that could be fired from North Korea, possibly
tipped with nuclear, chemical or germ warheads.
![Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin speaks in the House of Commons, in Ottawa, February 24, 2005. Canada's minority Liberal government, with an eye on the next election, said it will not be involved in the controversial U.S. missile defense system program that is unpopular with Canadian voters. [Reuters]](xin_360202251121476172553.jpg) Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin speaks in
the House of Commons, in Ottawa, February 24, 2005. Canada's minority
Liberal government, with an eye on the next election, said it will not be
involved in the controversial U.S. missile defense system program that is
unpopular with Canadian voters. [Reuters] | Last fall, the Japan-based Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Curtis Wilbur became
the first component of the anti-missile shield to be put on patrol in the Sea of
Japan to guard against North Korean attack.
Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed, the Pentagon's No. 1 supplier, calls Aegis
the world's premier naval defense system, capable of defending against air,
surface and underwater threats.
Currently deployed on 68 U.S. Navy cruisers and destroyers, the Aegis system
is also being supplied to Spain, Japan, South Korea, Norway and
Australia.
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
Today's
Top News |
|
|
|
Top World
News |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|