Star Wars missile intercept fails for fifth year running

[FarCenter]

A test of the fledgling US missile defense system, dubbed Star Wars, has had yet another setback after an interception missile launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California failed to find its target over the Pacific.

"Although a primary objective was the intercept of a long-range ballistic missile target launched from the U.S. Army's Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands, an intercept was not achieved," said Missile Defense Command in a statement.
...

While there have been some successful intercepts using the Star Wars system – notably when the target missile carries a transponder to guide the kill vehicle – there hasn't been a successful test since 2008. This latest failure will have some questioning if the billions sunk into the project will ever see a return.

"The reliability of our missile defense system is being brought into question," Charles Vick, senior technical and space policy analyst at globalsecurity.org, told ABC. "The technology is still being perfected, and the level of reliability is not up to necessary standards."

The US currently has 30 of the interceptor missiles deployed; four at Vandenberg and 26 at Fort Greely, Alaska. With North Korea making increasingly bellicose noises, another 14 interceptor rockets are being sent to Alaska, at an additional cost of $1bn to the US taxpayer.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/08/star_wars_missile_interception_fails_for_fifth_year_running/

[Autumn]

1. What's a few more billions tossed down the shit hole?

[PoliticAverse]

2. Clearly this means they need to spend even more money on it... n/t

[RedCappedBandit]

3. Meanwhile.. FOOD STAMPS BAD, EDUCATION BAD

[moondust]

4. Iron Dome

On 10 March 2012, The Jerusalem Post reported that the system shot down 90% of rockets launched from Gaza that would have landed in populated areas.[9] By November 2012, official statements indicated that it had intercepted 400+ rockets.[13][14] On 19 November, defense reporter Mark Thompson wrote that while these numbers were impossible to confirm, the "lack of Israeli casualties suggests Iron Dome is the most-effective, most-tested missile shield the world has ever seen."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Dome

So the Israeli system is really good and the U.S. system is really bad?

[tammywammy]

7. Different types of systems.

Iron Dome is for short range rockets. GMD is supposed to intercept ICBMs.

[moondust]

8. Okay, thanks.

I suppose from North Korea or China or Mars...

[magellan]

5. How many billion$ have we spent on this lame program now?

Who in their right mind says, "Ooo, idea: let's deploy billion$ more in missiles that don't work! And cut social security and public school funding and food stamps to pay for it!"

So disgusted and ashamed of this country.

[Rex]

6. Gotta waste that butter for bombs soldier!

nt

[Recursion]

9. Always been a boondoggle. PHALANX-type systems are much better

But they aren't a zero option, which is still the ridiculous goal they keep shooting for.

[LittleBlue]

10. More military welfare

But we gotta cut SS, amirite?

[Union Scribe]

11. It's like a battle of incompetency

between NK's missiles and ours