Posted on 09/03/2006 4:00:19 PM PDT by AFPhys
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1343288/posts
Missile defense system fails another test
Associated Press | February 14, 2005 | JOHN J. LUMPKIN
So, it turns out that the hinge was a bit rusty.
Sounds like they have to change to stainless steel for future SDI systems.
Big Deal!
OFF TOPIC.
...and in 2006 let's see what we have here.
Note: The following text is a quote:
---
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=675
Operational Missile Defense Test a Total Success
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sep. 1, 2006 A test of the Ground-based Missile Defense System today was a total success, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry A. Obering III, the director of the Missile Defense Agency.
Obering called todays test, the first operational one for the system, a huge step in fielding of the missile defense shield. He said he feels good about the capability for the United States to defend itself from an attack from a rogue nation.
The test was the most realistic to date without a nation like North Korea launching the real thing, the general said.
The test we conducted today was significant in the fact that, as the next step in a progression, we launched an operational interceptor out of an operational site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, (Calif.). It was conducted by operational crews, manning operational fire and control systems in Colorado Springs, (Colo.). It was conducted with the support of operational radar in California, also manned by warfighters, and it was against a very threat-representative target, Obering said.
The general said the crews cheered when it became apparent that they had hit the mock warhead in space.
Officials in Alaska launched the target from Fort Greely at 1:23 p.m. EDT. Crews launched the interceptor from Vandenberg at 1:39 p.m. The hit-to-kill interceptor hit the mock warhead over the Pacific at 1:46 p.m.
I am pleased that today's test of our ballistic missile defense system appears to have been a success, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said in a written statement. Successful tests such as these increase confidence in the approach to developing an initial missile defense capability. These tests provide knowledge and experience that will be used to improve our nation's capability.
Both Rumsfeld and Obering stressed that further tests will be conducted on the system once the gigabytes and gigabytes worth of data from this test is processed and analyzed. While today's test was a success, the test program is by no means complete, Rumsfeld said. Tests will continue, some of which will be successful and some will not. This was a challenging test, and the tests will become even more challenging in the period ahead.
The next test is set for December, Obering said. Depending on the read-out from the test today, that one may use decoys and different countermeasures to try to confuse the kill vehicle.
More like a year and a half ago.
The idiots in the MSM fail to realize that even failures provide useful information that helps to make the system better.
I smell troll.
Not sure if this OLD STORY was put up here intentionally or not but it remains that it is OLD NEWS, thus, not news at all.
And what exactly is the point of posting a year old article about this? Did the success of two days ago bother you?
Now that I have time to write in a bit more leisurely fashion about this:
After seeing the NYSlimes tout their "But critics said that the test lacked key elements of realism and that its main objective had been to allow the Missile Defense Agency to claim the program was back on track after the interceptors in the last two flight tests, in December 2004 and February 2005, failed to leave their silos." in the article linked above, I checked back on FR as to the reason for the Feb'05 "failure".
When I did so, I discovered several stories on FR about it failing, but didn't see a single article, or even a post within those articles, about WHAT had failed. When I found out it was simply due to a rusty hinge, I wanted to make certain the record was set straight regarding this test.
Now that I've put out this firestorm I generated, I'll go back and link this story to the other Feb'05 FRAUDcasts that touted how badly this program was doing... so when next time someone looks for this reason they'll be able to find out more quickly that we just had to change the hinges on the control arms.
Again, I'm sorry to all about failing to include something in the first post or two HIGHLIGHTING that this was an article about an experimental test over a year ago.
Addendum: I had recalled that the Dec'04 test failed due to a the research computer communications link being too slow, and that IS posted on some follow up articles on FR.
Thanks for collecting the relevant articles.....excellent!
All the rusty hinges have been replaced. Bad alloy. The 11th interceptor was being placed in its silo at Greely last week.
What was the solution? A case of WD-40 to be applied occasionally?
There were many such posts. You must allocate even more time to scanning FreeRepublic. 18 hours a day won't get it anymore. :)
I've never understood the kind of thought that says we have to shoot a missile out of the air like we were playing darts or something.
Seems to me if you pop off a couple ten meggers in their paths, if the blast doesn't get them, the EMP will fry them so bad they'd turn around or go off in mid-flight.
Thanks for the background.
I apologize for the knee-jerk reaction, but I've seen too much divisive stuff posted here (supposedly by conservatives) that is obviously NOT constructive criticism.
Problem is fratricide. Very soon the entire defense network would fry itself.
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