After Three Successive Failures Should We Have Confidence In The U.S. Missile Defense Program?

Photo: A Standard Missile-3 Block 1A interceptor is launched from the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie in the Pacific Ocean. Reuters

Air Force General Confident About Interceptors, Despite Failures -- Washington Times

The Air Force general in charge of U.S. missile defense expressed confidence Wednesday in the ground-based interceptor missile defense system, despite its three successive test failures.

“I am still confident that the system will perform in its limited defense role. But I’m concerned with the recent test failure,” Air ForceGen. C. Robert Kehler, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, said at a defense writers breakfast in Washington.

The system, which is designed to shoot down missiles heading toward the U.S., failed its most recent test earlier this month. Its last successful test was in 2008.

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More News On U.S. Missile Defense

Ground-based missile interceptor needs more testing: U.S. commander -- Global Post/Kyodo News
After Failed Tests, U.S. May Fire More Interceptors to Defend Nation -- National Journal/Global Security Newswire
Amid Failures, US Missile Defense Goes Global -- Defense News
DoD Deploys Missile Defense and Radar Systems Across Asia; Dick Durbin Comments -- Executive Gov
Contract awarded for missile interceptor site in Romania -- Stars and Stripes
Republican senator urges East Coast missile defense base -- Daily Caller
Thirty-year-old missile defense system is a strategic necessity -- C. Dean McGrath Jr., My San Antonio
A Failure to Intercept -- New York Times editorial
Let’s end bogus missile defense testing -- Yousaf Butt, Reuters