US military conducts ‘most challenging’ ballistic missile defense test
April 16th, 2011 - 2:07 pm ICT by ANI
Washington, Apr 16 (ANI): The US military has successfully conducted its “most challenging test to date” of its ballistic missile defense (BMD) system.
The US Department of Defense announced that it fired an interceptor from an Aegis destroyer to blast an intermediate-range missile over the Pacific Ocean.
According to the Missile Defense Agency, the test was conducted jointly by the Navy’s Aegis destroyer USS O’KANE, and the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, Xinhua reports.
An intermediate-range ballistic missile target was launched from Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, approximately 2,300 miles southwest of Hawaii.
“Initial indications are that all components performed as designed,” said the agency.
The agency said the test was the most challenging test to date as the engagement relied on remote tracking data for the first time to intercept an intermediate-range target.
The agency said ability to use remote radar data to engage a threat ballistic missile greatly increases the battle space and defended area of the SM-3 missile.
Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense is the sea-based midcourse component of the Ballistic Missile Defense System and is designed to intercept and destroy short to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats.
The “successful test demonstrated the capability of the first phase” of the European missile shield, announced by President Barack Obama in September 2009, the agency said. (ANI)
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