Missile Defense Test Aborted

THADD Launcher

From Signs On San Diego:

HONOLULU – The U.S. military aborted an attempt to shoot down an incoming missile with two interceptors Wednesday after the target malfunctioned shortly after launch off Kauai.

It was the first breakdown after five successful tests of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD. Four of the successful test had been conducted with launches from the Pacific Missile Range at Barking Sands and one from White Sands, N.M.

The Missile Defense Agency says because of the failure, the two THAAD interceptor missiles that were to take part in the test were not launched. So the full test was never completed.

It was the second time a target missile had failed, resulting in a scrapping of the interceptor launch, leaving the test missiles available for future tests. The first failure was early on in the tests, which began at White Sands in 2005.

Read more ....

My Comment: With each test, more and more info and development occurs. Twenty years ago, politicians who opposed President Reagan's Star Wars initiative were laughing at the concept of missiles being shot down .... today .... this is no longer laughed at. One can only wonder what the next 10 to 20 years will bring.