$100bn later, Star Wars hits its first missile

[T_i_B]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1863474,00.html

The Pentagon claimed a victory for America's missile defence system last night when a mock warhead was successfully destroyed in space in a test which cost $85m (£45m).

A target missile was launched from Kodiak island, Alaska, yesterday morning. Seventeen minutes later, an interceptor missile left a silo in California, hitting the target above the Pacific Ocean at a speed of 18,000mph. Military chiefs hailed the test as a "total success" for the defence system, originally known as Star Wars, which has been plagued by political opposition and technical troubles since it began in 1983.

A real interceptor missile has never before successfully destroyed a target missile. In the previous such attempts, in 2004 and 2005, the rockets jammed in their silos. "What we did today is a huge step in terms of our systematic approach to continuing to ... develop a missile defence system for the United States, for our allies, our friends, our deployed forces around the world," said Lieutenant General Henry Oberling, the Pentagon's missile defence chief. He said the system now had a "good chance" of shooting down a real enemy long-range missile. "I feel a lot safer and sleep a lot better at night," he said.

Critics dispute the Bush administration's claim that the system, which has cost almost $100bn to date, is vital to protect against attacks from "rogue states" such as North Korea. They argue that the end of the cold war rendered the scheme obsolete, and the test was unrealistic because the military knew the size, speed, and timing of the missile at which they were aiming.

[ClintonTyree]

1. "The Pentagon claimed"..........

"claimed" being the key word in that sentence. I'm beyond believing anything that comes out of that propaganda factory. Even if they DID hit it, a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in awhile. :eyes:

[DRoseDARs]

2. If I'm not mistaken, they've "hit" missiles several times before...

...in rigged tests.

[oblivious]

3. If it's like the Patriot,they should make the target look like a friendly

[ckramer]

4. Well it's a good beginning

More tests need to be done on multi-war-head missiles, but I doubt it that will work.

[acmejack]

5. !

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2489787

[Frank Cannon]

6. Another phony test of a phony system

This is, however, the first article I've seen about this latest test that admits that the military, once again, "knew the size, speed, and timing of the missile at which they were aiming". Most of the reports I have seen or heard completely omit that information.

It should be a great system, provided we know the size, speed, and timing of all the missiles at which we are aiming. :eyes:

[razors edge]

7. and they have

a locater beacon, the weather is good, the radar isn't tied up in dry dock for repairs, etc.

[Vitruvius]

12. Knowing the timing and trajectory, plus a locater beacon means

it's a rendezvous, NOT an "interception".

And there's absolutely nothing remarkable about a rendezvous; we've been doing them since the Gemini program in the 1960s.

[psychopomp]

10. True, and I am also against this boondoggle

but I have to admit that even given those handicaps it is an amazing feat...not that it will make us any safer, but hey.

[cobalt1999]

8. Actually I'm impressed.

From a pure technology perspective, it really is impressive.

Before I get flamed: It's a program we should never have spent a dime on, and I doubt it will ever be deployed. However, the tracking & guidance systems probably will find uses elsewhere.

[alfredo]

9. yeah like keeping track of our every move.

[radwriter0555]

11. Sooo, they 'passed' a staged test that cost taxpayers 85 MILLION bucks

and they're proud of... what exactly?

That they hit a fake missile?

The test WAS unrealistic because the military KNEW the size, speed, and timing of the missile at which they were aiming... that's entirely correct.

It's a load of horse pucky.

[Vidar]

13. Just like the guy that "hunted" the tame bear & Cheney's canned hunts.