Posted on 11/09/2007 9:06:45 AM PST by BradtotheBone
WASHINGTON — In the first such test, a U.S.-origin sea-based missile defense system has intercepted two target ballistic missiles. Officials said the Aegis missile defense system engaged and intercepted two ballistic missile targets in a test off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii on Wednesday. They said this marked the first operationally realistic test that involved two unitary targets.
The Missile Defense Agency identified the interceptor as the Standard Missile-3 Block 1A missile, Middle East Newsline reported. In a test that included Japan, the SM-3 was fired from the USS Lake Erie, and the Aegis detected and tracked the targets as well as developed fire control solutions.
"Approximately two minutes later, the USS Lake Erie's crew fired two SM-3 missiles, and two minutes later they successfully intercepted the targets outside the earth's atmosphere more than 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean and 250 miles northwest of Kauai," MDA said. "The intercepts used hit-to-kill technology, meaning that the targets were destroyed when the missiles collided directly with the targets." Lockheed Martin has been the prime contractor of the Aegis BMD system. Raytheon was the prime contractor of the SM-3 interceptor.
The U.S. Navy plans to equip 18 surface vessels with the Aegis. Japan has purchased Aegis BMD capability for its Kongo-class Aegis destroyers.
I am sure we will post a couple off the coast of North Korea, as well in the Persian Gulf.
I’m not surprised at all. Its a helluva system.
Hot Damn!
Liberals likely response: “It’ll never work.”
Only 18? There are at least 21 cruisers, and at least another 20 destroyers with Aegis, in the U.S. Navy alone.
The mantra was “It CAN’T work”. Which is poor science at best.
Ask them what the Parabola is for. When they stare like dummy, say, NEXT!
Do they need to be in close proximity to the launch location in order to be effective?
News a couple days ago, and several threads.
As well as Alaska....
Mike
Fyi...
ping
they should have said BMDS Aegis not just Aegis.
bttt
This will be making a bunch of enemies of the US pretty nervous right now.
The liberal loons thought Ronnie was a fruit cake.
HAHA!! Be excellent if we could somehow elect Duncan Hunter to really have someone close to being like Ronnie.
In believe our company has contracts supplying Aegis destroyers with something...I think they said in a meeting today that there were 350 of them out there (?) Sounds like a lot of ships.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.