Test of Missile System Misses Target

Las Vegas Sun ^ | June 18, 2003 at 20:37:33 PDT | B.J. REYES

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

By B.J. REYES
ASSOCIATED PRESS

HONOLULU (AP) -

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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[Southack]

This test may have failed, but it sure is nice to see our existing Aegis system being re-programmed to eventually intercept ICBM's.

We can position our sea-based systems off an enemy's coast to intercept upon launch; near our own coasts to intercept on re-entry, as well as augment our land and space based interceptors (eventually).

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Have family working on some of the Missile defense programs.

They are working hard , engineering stuff!

[FairOpinion]

A little more info:

Press release from MDA. That's why we have tests, to find and work out the problems.

AEGIS BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE FLIGHT TEST CONDUCTED
http://www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/bmdolink/html/fm5.html

Missile Defense Agency News Release

June 18, 2003


The Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. Navy announced June 18 they have conducted a flight test in the continuing development of the AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program, an element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. Preliminary indications are that the SM-3 interceptor missile deployed its Kinetic Warhead, but an intercept was not achieved. The primary objective of this test was to evaluate the SM-3 Kinetic Warhead’s guidance, navigation and control operation in space using an upgraded solid divert and attitude control system (SDACS). Government and industry officials will conduct an extensive analysis of the flight test, and the results will be used to improve the AEGIS BMD development and testing program.

This was the fourth flight test of the AEGIS BMD system against an Aries target, with the first three tests resulting in successful intercepts of the target missile.

The Aries target missile was launched at 7:15 p.m. EDT (1:15 p.m. HST) from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. The crew of USS LAKE ERIE, an AEGIS cruiser stationed offshore, launched the SM-3 interceptor missile approximately two minutes later.

MDA and the Navy manage the Aegis BMD Program. Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is the prime contractor for the development of the SM-3 missile. ATK builds the improved SDACS for the SM-3. Lockheed Martin Naval Electronic and Surveillance Systems, Moorestown, N.J. manages the development of the Aegis Weapon System installed in Aegis cruisers and destroyers, including the upgrades for the AEGIS BMD System.

News media points of contact are Rick Lehner, MDA Communications, at (703) 697-8997 or, in Hawaii, Maj. Cathy Reardon at (703) 963-3179, or Chris Taylor at (703) 963-3484.

Photo Information: Photos will be available at www.defenselink.mil on June 19, 2003.

[aruanan]

Test of Missile System Misses Target

I hope it wasn't the newspaper that wrote this.

[KeyWest]

Still do not know why we do not put a nuc warhead in the interceptor. No more failures. Think missile attack.

[Coop]

We can position our sea-based systems off an enemy's coast to intercept upon launch

Yes, but just to avoid confusion, the boost-phase intercept (still in its embryonic stage) is a completely separate program from the Aegis BMD terminal-phase intercept.

[Coop]

Still do not know why we do not put a nuc warhead in the interceptor. No more failures. Think missile attack.

I'm not the expert here, but I've heard some of the discussions. The short answer is the EMP (electro magnetic pulse) environment. After one detonation of a nuke, there's a great fear that the defending country would then essentially be blind, its sensors "fried." So to defeat such a system, an enemy would presumably launch a couple of missiles, wait a few minutes, then launch another salvo to pass right through the mushroom cloud to impact their targets.

The nuke option would presumably work for one or two threat missiles, if that's all there were.

[FairOpinion]

"Still do not know why we do not put a nuc warhead in the interceptor. No more failures. Think missile attack. "
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Excellent point. Maybe we will get around to it. That would solve the problem of needing pin point accuracy and discriminating the decoys as well. Just shoot a missile in the general direction of the incoming objects, watch them all disappear.

[FairOpinion]

Not quite.

The Navy missile is not meant for boost phase, but would be able to intercept a missile on its way up, as well as down. It is what's called "midcourse intercept", which starts at the end of boost phase (a few minutes for ICBM-s) and ends at the beginning of terminal phase, which is entry into the atmosphere.

They were going to have a Navy system for terminal intercept, in the class of the Patriot, but I think they canceled the program.

[FairOpinion]

EMP would be a problem, but actually the non-nuclear intercept has more to do with political correctness, than science.

Since what we are intercepting are nuclear incoming warhead, if they explode, you would still get EMP. And if we intercepted with a nuke, we wouldn't need a really accurate seeker,just shoot in the general direction of the incoming missiles.

[Coop]

Not quite.

I inadvertently put "terminal" instead of "midcourse." Thanks for the correction.

[Coop]

And if we intercepted with a nuke, we wouldn't need a really accurate seeker,just shoot in the general direction of the incoming missiles.

And how would you know where these missiles are with blinded sensors?

[Jack of Diamonds]

"Since what we are intercepting are nuclear incoming warhead, if they explode, you would still get EMP"...

Hmmmm, you only get EMP if the warhead of the ICBM detonates. If it is blown up by an intercepter, the core material will bust get blown out the side of the warehead and that is only if the HE in the warhead detonates. When the ICBM is blown up by an intercepter, there is no atomic explotion at all, just a little radioactive contamination from the cores.

[Coop]

Here's a piece that better explains the two separate programs I was talking about. Link

They don't specifically mention the boost-phase program in that link, but here's an excerpt about that embryonic program, along with another link:

Kinetic Energy Intercept (KI) is a new missile defense program comprised of proposed land-, sea-, and space-based kinetic energy intercept capability to provide additional coverage to the boost phase and ultimately to the midcourse and terminal phases.

http://www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/peis/html/bmds.html

[berserker]

A developmental Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) is launched from the U.S. Navy cruiser USS Lake Erie, deployed at an undisclosed location in the Pacific, during a Missile Defense Agency test Wednesday, June 18, 2003. The interceptor missile missed its airborne target Wednesday in an unsuccessful test of a sea-based missile defense system being developed by the military, Defense Department officials said. The Aries target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Chris Taylor)