Test of Missile System Misses Target
Posted on: Wednesday, 18 June 2003, 06:00 CDT
A missile fired from a Navy cruiser missed its airborne target Wednesday in an unsuccessful test of a sea-based missile defense system, the Defense Department said.
It was the second consecutive failed missile test over the Pacific after a series of successful strikes in the past 2 1/2 years, and the first failure of a sea-based test.
An Aries target missile was launched at 1:15 p.m. from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai and a Standard Missile-3 interceptor was fired from the USS Lake Erie, deployed at an undisclosed location in the Pacific, about two minutes later, officials said.
Preliminary indications were that the SM-3 missed its target even though its guidance system was activated, Missile Defense Agency spokesman Chris Taylor said in a news release.
Wednesday's launch was the fourth flight test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system. The first three tests, all last year, were successful. The feat has been compared to hitting a bullet with a bullet.
Government and industry officials are planning an extensive analysis of the latest test, the first since the Bush administration in December outlined plans to have a rudimentary missile defense system ready for use by 2005.
Critics have questioned whether Bush's goal is feasible and whether the threat of attack is sufficient to justify the expense.
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On the Net:
Missile Defense Agency: http://www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/bmdolink/html/bmdolink.html
Pacific Missile Range Facility: http://www.pmrf.navy.mil/
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