http://www.spacewar.com/news/bmdo-05zf.htmlTiming Of BMDO Tests Must Be Based On Performance Benchmarks, Not White House Schedule: Experts
Washington (UPI) Jul 07, 2005
Three outside experts commissioned by the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency have warned that the ground-based strategic missile defense system being developed by the Bush administration is bound to suffer additional test failures and may not function properly if its testing regime is not revamped and made a higher priority.
Arms Control Today reported this week that the experts, who were appointed in February to evaluate the system's last three test flops, had already presented this grim assessment to Lt. Gen. Henry Obering in a March. 31 report.
The Independent Review Team included former NASA administrator William Graham; Maj. Gen. Bill Nance, a former program manager of the ground-based missile defense system; and William Ballhaus, president and chief executive officer of The Aerospace Corp., ACT reported.
The three experts found that development of the missile defense system, which is intended to protect the United States from long-range ballistic missile attacks, has been driven by a White House schedule rather than performance benchmarks.