Military Begins Missile-Defense Exercises

Miami Herald ^ | October 9, 2004 | AP

[Cincinatus' Wife]

WASHINGTON - The military has begun a series of exercises with its national missile defense system to move it a step closer to activation. The exercises involve testing crews and activating the network of sensors and command centers to ensure they transfer information properly, Rick Lehner, a spokesman for the Missile Defense Agency, said Friday.

"No problems have cropped up," he said.

Although five ballistic missile interceptors are in their silos at Fort Greely, Alaska, they are not yet operational because their arming pins have not been removed, so the system is not considered "on alert" yet, Lehner said.

The exercises, each of which can last several hours, have been under way for about a week, Lehner said. They will continue for several more weeks.

The military does has no date set to put the missile defenses on alert but still expects to by the end of the year. Once the system is fully activated, the interceptors will be capable of launching during an ICBM attack from eastern Asia.

The system includes a tracking radar on the Aleutian island of Shemya in Alaska, an early-warning radar at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., and command centers at Colorado Springs, Colo., and at Fort Greely. It also will rely on early-warning satellites to detect missile launches.

Additional interceptor missiles will be placed at Greely and at Vandenburg Air Force Base, Calif.

A Navy destroyer has begun patrolling the Sea of Japan with an upgraded Aegis radar capable of tracking North Korean missile launches and feeding information into the missile defense network.

Critics say the system has not been tested properly and has yet to prove it would work in a crisis. Military officials describe the system as still experimental but insist it would be capable of firing in a crisis.

ON THE NET

Missile Defense Agency: http://www.acq.osd.mil/mda/

[madison46]

I wish someone had a breakdown of the testing. I know the first couple of tests had boosters that were not the intended ones and they used a beacon. Seems since they went with the intended booster things worked and without out the beacon. I also worked against a decoy. anyone know the break down?

I love this. It should be considered another Bush promise kept

[Cincinatus' Wife]

There might be some information at their web site.

http://www.acq.osd.mil/mda/

[operation clinton cleanup]

I have not heard this milestone mentioned in the campaign at all... How disappointing.

[datura]

Check out the Federation Of American Scientist's page - they've got tons of info on NMD.

FAS

[Pastnowfuturealpha]

Interesting system - long time in coming though - thanks to the Socialist Democrats.

I wish we didn't have to put so much information out when we come up with some defense or new tech. advance. We have given enough to our enemy in one way or the other -



just a wish - nothing more -
Cheers -

[endthematrix]

"A Navy destroyer has begun patrolling the Sea of Japan "

Part of a system, that includes hitting the missiles right out of the silo in it's "boost phase." If we have birds in the air, we could hit it at the missiles most vulnerable point and furthest from the intended target...US. The airborne laser could do this and new advancements in radar and hypersonic interceptors fired from aircraft on station goes along way in making the system complete.

[HiTech RedNeck]

In every test of these "Star Wars" systems I've heard about, they send ONE anti-missile at the test missile. It sometimes hits, and everyone cheers.

To me that doesn't make a lot of sense. Why not attack each incoming missile with a whole swarm of relatively low cost anti-weapons. Just like one bee usually can't kill a horse, but a thousand can.

[EGPWS]

The exercises involve testing crews and activating the network of sensors and command centers to ensure they transfer information properly,

Thank Gawd this exercise isn't also a political campaign aid in use with the sKerry regime for his election endeavors. ; )

[EGPWS]

To me that doesn't make a lot of sense. Why not attack each incoming missile with a whole swarm of relatively low cost anti-weapons. Just like one bee usually can't kill a horse, but a thousand can.

The sky is a vast area my friend.

Just ask a fellow Montana FReeper!

As Dubya has stated, and rightfully so, it only takes one "lucky strike", thus we must be prepared to be accurate in our defense.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Sounds like a lucky strike of disinfo to me. If a swarm tactic increases the number of hits with a given state of the art in accuracy -- then why not use the swarm? Especially if the swarm is controlled by diverse types of sensor systems, so that if the incoming missile evades in one way, it may yet be intercepted in another way.

[EGPWS]

Sounds like a lucky strike of disinfo to me. If a swarm tactic increases the number of hits with a given state of the art in accuracy -- then why not use the swarm? Especially if the swarm is controlled by diverse types of sensor systems, so that if the incoming missile evades in one way, it may yet be intercepted in another way.

The key to contentment and whirled peas is to outsmart the smart. ; )

[risk]

Another (I think unfortunate) LBJ decision overturned. Will the American people recognize it?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

....And within weeks, the country's vulnerability to missile attack will be reduced when Bush declares operational the first elements of a ballistic missile defense for the U.S. This great victory for the American people — and make no mistake, it is a historic achievement and means the federal government will have begun to meet its obligation to defend us to the best of its ability — comes not a moment too soon.

....Our current systems, all of which are non-land based, can't keep pace with the increasing missile threat. Congress must fund ongoing efforts to strengthen them significantly over the long term. These efforts should focus on space-based interceptors that find and destroy ballistic missiles above the atmosphere en route to their target.

Primarily, this means rebuilding the Brilliant Pebbles program pursued by the first Bush administration as part of the Strategic Defense Initiative but canceled by the Clinton administration in 1993. This program demonstrated the effectiveness of light and highly maneuverable kill vehicles that could destroy ballistic missiles in their earliest stage of flight, called the boost phase. This means they knock out missiles just as the missiles enter space and before they release decoys and other payloads designed to confuse or overwhelm the defense. Current systems can't intercept missiles in the boost phase, let alone those deployed in space.....

______________________________________________________________

Brilliant Pebbles technology was tested on Clementine (mapping mission to Moon that detected ice at the South Pole - later confirmed by Lunar Prospector). Clementine II was Bill Clinton's first line-item veto - which was later overturned but by then, the mission funding was gone.

[familyop]

It's kinda like hittin' a slow attacking ground hog that starts 500 yards from the house. We can take aim and kill it by someone who's watching intently for it to come out of its hole while hiding with a grenade very close by, and if that doesn't kill it, someone with a good varmint rifle firing from the house carefully, up to several times with a scope, and finally, if it gets close to the house, someone else with a laser-sighted pistol very close to it again.

Or we can try firing a thousand rounds in the general direction of it with an automatic rifle.

[BlackbirdSST]

This is all well and good, and certainly plays an important role in our Nations defense against "rouge" Nations with missiles. Perhaps someone can explain what this will do to stop Achmed from walking across the border with a backpack and taking say, Dallas/Ft Worth or Houston off the map? Given enough time and opportunity, this will happen. Blackbird.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Good point.

I hope new technology will assist us on all fronts.

[Thinkin' Gal]

The system includes a tracking radar on the Aleutian island of Shemya in Alaska

Cobra Dane surveillance radar ping.

AN/FPS-108
Cobra Dane Radar
Shemya, Alaska

Shema = "hear"
Shemaiah = "heard by Jehovah"

Deuteronomy 33:13-17

13 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,
14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,
15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,
16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head* of him that was separated from his brethren.
17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

*Not to mention TAPS.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Etymology is on target. Shemya and Semichi Islands were named for the Russian discoverer.


http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Semen+Dezhnev+&btnG=Google+Search

Simon =
Simeon or Shimeon = "heard"