Posted on 06/22/2006 4:56:18 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Upgraded Raytheon Standard Missile-3 Intercepts Separating Ballistic Missile Target
PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, KAUAI, Hawaii, June 22, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- A Raytheon Company
(Nachrichten/Aktienkurs) -produced Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) and the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) 3.6 Weapon System destroyed a ballistic missile target today outside the earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. It was the seventh successful intercept for Aegis BMD's SM-3.
The flight mission, Flight Test Maritime-10, was the first to use the new Block IA version of SM-3, which Raytheon is scheduled to deliver to the Missile Defense Agency later this year. The SM-3 Block IA provides increased capability to engage both short- and medium-range ballistic missiles with rocket motor upgrades and computer program modifications to improve sensor performance, missile guidance and control, as well as lower cost. It also includes producibility and maintainability design changes required to qualify the missile as a tactical fleet asset.
The flight mission was also the second successful test against a medium-range, separating ballistic missile target. The mock warhead separated from the booster section, presenting a more challenging engagement scenario.
In the operationally realistic scenario, the SM-3 was launched from USS Shiloh and hit the target missile that had been launched from the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii. The ship's crew was not informed of the target launch time, further simulating a realistic wartime environment. The Navy's operational testers participated in the planning, execution and assessment of the exercise.
"This test validates the SM-3 Block IA design and paves the way for us to ramp up production of this urgently needed capability," said Edward Miyashiro, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president, Naval Weapon Systems. "The system's and team's continued success is a testament to our focus on Mission Assurance at every level."
A secondary flight mission objective was to evaluate the ability of a land-based X-band radar to cue an Aegis destroyer, via the Ballistic Missile Defense System, to detect and track a ballistic missile. Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' TPS-X (Transportable Surveillance X-Band) radar, installed on Kauai, tracked the target missile from launch and also tracked the SM-3 Block IA from horizon break through target intercept. The target's track information was relayed as designed to USS Milius.
Raytheon's Missile Systems business in Tucson, Ariz., is developing SM-3 and leads the integrated team effort, which includes Alliant Techsystems, Aerojet and The Boeing Company.
Raytheon continues to deliver missiles to the Missile Defense Agency under contract to increase the nation's inventory of operational rounds. The kinetic warhead seeker and final integration occur in Raytheon's state-of-the-art kill vehicle manufacturing facility in Tucson, alongside the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle, an element of the Ground-based Missile Defense program. Final assembly and testing of SM-3 occurs at Raytheon's Camden, Ark., facility.
Raytheon Company , with 2005 sales of $21.9 billion, is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 80,000 people worldwide.
Note to Editors:
Raytheon's missile defense hit-to-kill successes with the Standard Missile-3 occurred Jan. 25, June 13 and Nov. 21, 2002; Dec. 11, 2003; and Feb. 24 and Nov. 17, 2005. Successes with the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle occurred Oct. 2, 1999; July 13 and Dec. 3, 2001; and March 15 and Oct. 14, 2002.
Contact: Sara Hammond 520.794.7810
Ping!
And they laughed at Ronald Reagan and derided it as "Star Wars"
That's some good news!
They also laughed at Ronnie saying, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" However, it really went down, not long after.
While I certainly didn't laugh at him, I have to admit, my reaction was "Yeah, right. Like that's gonna happen." I had no idea how soon it actually would happen.
GREAT NEWS!
Thanks for the ping. More good news is always welcome, and these are particularly good tidings.
The ultimate "face" would be to shoot down the worm's expensive toy and forget to mention it...
Charles Krathhammer was annoyed that The Toon stopped SDI development. Charles intimated that because of Clinton, we're coming in too late.
The Libs will be pissed because W didn't ask them for permission.
The Toon and his so-called genius said:
There will be no war in the future, only international business transactions.
To that, Osama replied in the strong negative.
Someone wrote a book about that in Europe around 1910.
Our girls can beat you black and blue so don't be messing with us.
Correction:
genius geniuses(or genii)
U.S. Military Intercepts Missile in Test (The Washington Post)
Testing: U.S. ship shoots down dummy warhead (USA Today, the article includes many links)
Japanese ship to participate in U.S. missile test off Kauai (Star-Bulletin)
Someday the United States will prevent a NUKE ATTACK by using Reagan's "Star Wars" missle defense system, after the dust has settled with whatever nut job nation that launched the it, there SHOULD be a push to put Reagan on RUSHMORE!
y'know, I am willing to bet that the actual capability is much better than this. if anyone has rocket science down cold, it's the USA.
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