Missle test successful

[American Patriot]

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. The Defense Department says it successfully tested a high-altitude missile defense system over White Sands Missile Range early this morning.

Officials says initial indications are that the test achieved all its flight objectives.

Crews launched a Hera target missile, and the test successfully intercepted it.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, called THAAD, is designed to intercept and destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles high within the Earth's atmosphere.

Today's test over New Mexico was a flight test of all THAAD components, including the launcher, radar, communications and interceptor.

[American Patriot]

First Person Account of Missile Test at White Sands by Riki Ellison, President of Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance
Wednesday July 12, 12:25 pm ET

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M., July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison the President of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org was at the third test of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) element test today, July 12th, 2006. His observations and comments made at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico are as follows:

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"It is symbolic that the birthplace of the world's most dangerous weapon ever invented -- the atomic bomb -- is the same place of today's successful missile defense test that could lead in the future to eradicate nuclear weapons carried on ballistic missiles."

"The test occurred at about 5:20 a.m. MDT just before a spectacular sunrise over the Organ Mountain range in the high desert of New Mexico. It was a live intercept of the THAAD interceptor against a Hera target traveling speeds up to 6,000 mph that simulated a Scud missile that lit up the desert skies."

"Today's successful kinetic energy intercept by the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) intercept flight sends a clear message to our public and the world including North Korea that we have the proven ability to intercept Scud missiles and those of short and medium ranges. This proven and demonstrated system has the capability of negating and destroying 6 of the 7 missiles fired last week by North Korea while protecting significant areas. Three of these THAAD systems could protect the country of Japan."

"Proving, testing and deploying our missile defense systems such as THAAD deters and dissuades those countries and entities posing a threat to us from developing and using ballistic missiles as weapons of terror and extortion."

"This technological feat adds to the recent successful missile defense intercepts from the Sea-based systems, and thus gives us lessons learned providing enhancement on our long-range ballistic missile tests."

"The THAAD soldiers from the Army's 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade participated in the test with two soldiers conducting radar operations, two soldiers assisting contractors at the THAAD Fire Control and Communications. Their interaction with the complete THAAD system proved a valuable experience for the soldiers, and provided insight into overall system performance."

Riki Ellison closed his remarks by saying, "I am proud of our Missile Defense Agency team headed by Lieutenant General Henry 'Trey' Obering. This includes the THAAD Project Office in Huntsville, Alabama and the contractor team. They showed us today that THAAD is ready for the remaining flight test program that will provide verification of the integrated THAAD element at increasingly difficult levels."

Contact:

Mike Terrill

602-885-1955

[Jag]

Jul 20, 8:49 AM EDT
U.S. Successfully Completes Missile Test
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...07-20-08-49-31

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) -- The Air Force successfully launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile early Thursday.
The Minuteman III dummy warheads were fired at 3:14 a.m. and traveled about 4,200 miles before hitting a water target in the Marshall Islands.

The launch was delayed by a day because of a power outage at a radar facility that handles flights in and out of Southern California. The purpose is to test the defense system's reliability and accuracy.
Earlier this month, North Korea shook up the world by firing several missiles into the Sea of Japan, including a failed long-range missile.

The North Korean launch raised questions about the readiness of the U.S. missile defense system, which includes interceptors housed in underground silos in California and Alaska.

Jag

[Jag]

7/25/2006 7:13:00 AM -0400


BMD Watch: Kill vehicle thruster tested

By MARTIN SIEFF
UPI Senior News Analyst WASHINGTON, July 25 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin said it had successfully completed initial testing of the kill vehicle divert thruster.
The testing was carried out for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Multiple Kill Vehicle Payload System.
"The test series demonstrated the feasibility of using a divert and attitude control system that employs liquid monopropellant as a low-risk solution for the kill vehicle component of the Multiple Kill Vehicle Payload System," Lockheed Martin said Monday.

"The testing of the complete flight-weight prototype thruster and valve combination, which permits optimal packaging of the propulsion portion of the divert and attitude control system, demonstrated full compliance with the performance and life goals of the kill vehicle divert and attitude control system," the company said. The divert and attitude control system will position the kill vehicle to intercept its target.
Lockheed Martin subcontractor, Aerojet, a GenCorp Inc. company, completed the testing July 16 at its Redmond, Wash., test facility.
"The successful completion of this testing represents the achievement of a key knowledge point for this program," said Rick Reginato, Multiple Kill Vehicle program director, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. "Our team is focused on a low-risk program with earliest operational capability, and this test success is a significant milestone on the path forward."
In the event of an enemy launch, a single interceptor equipped with the Multiple Kill Vehicle Payload System is designed to destroy the enemy lethal reentry vehicle along with any countermeasures deployed to try to spoof the missile defense system.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., is the prime contractor for the Multiple Kill Vehicle Payload System. The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Ala., executes the program for the Missile Defense Agency.

Jag