Military Tests Missile System at Vandenberg Air Force Base

KTLA ^ | 1/26/13 | Paul Martella

[Libloather]

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (KTLA) — The 30th Space Wing and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency conducted a flight test of the Ground-Based Mid-course Defense system Saturday.

The missile test was designed to demonstrate the latest version of the advanced kill vehicle.

[Libloather]

Video of the launch at the link. Never saw it hit anything. Good thing Hussein wasn't there with his skeet shooter.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

The U.S. military says it has successfully launched a missile interceptor rocket on a test flight from the central California coast.

The Missile Defense Agency says the Ground-Based Interceptor launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base Saturday afternoon and executed a series of pre-planned maneuvers when it reached space.

The test did not involve a target, though the program is developing a system effective against ballistic missiles. The agency says it appears all components of the missile performed as designed. It will use the test results to improve the nation's ballistic missile defense system. It was the first flight test for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system since flight testing was halted after a failed intercept in a December 2010 test.

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Kinda like testing a rifle by firing it at a pile of sand.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

The U.S. military says it has successfully launched a missile interceptor rocket on a test flight from the central California coast.

The Missile Defense Agency says the Ground-Based Interceptor launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base Saturday afternoon and executed a series of pre-planned maneuvers when it reached space.

The test did not involve a target, though the program is developing a system effective against ballistic missiles. The agency says it appears all components of the missile performed as designed. It will use the test results to improve the nation's ballistic missile defense system. It was the first flight test for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system since flight testing was halted after a failed intercept in a December 2010 test.

Read more:Read more

Kinda like testing a rifle by firing it at a pile of sand.

[OldNavyVet]

Tests like this might involve unexpected learning experiences. One I vividly remember was a close call ... it didn’t involve casualties.

[The Sons of Liberty]

Maybe just a reminder to the NORKs that we can knock down their bottle rockets.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

No, there was a missile test in 2010 and the interceptor had guidance problems, related to component failures. This was just a test of the interceptor, to see if it could fly without component failures. It’s much, much cheaper than an live interception test, with a range safety zone the size of the Pacific Ocean.