U.S. downs test missile with new interceptor

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. downs test missile with new interceptor

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON | Thu May 10, 2012 6:50am EDT

(Reuters) - U.S. forces said they had destroyed a target in the first successful test of the Navy's newest anti-missile interceptor, designed to protect allies from attacks by countries like North Korea and Iran.

A target ballistic missile was downed near Hawaii late on Wednesday by the latest Raytheon Co-built Standard Missile-3 interceptor, the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said.

The advanced interceptor is key to the next phase of an anti-missile shield being built by the United States in and around Europe.

The United States plans to deploy increasingly capable SM-3 versions up to around 2020 to boost defenses against missiles that could be fired by Iran and North Korea.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/10/us-usa-missile-idUSBRE8490CY20120510

[arcane1]

1. Money well wasted n/t

[yesphan]

2. Don't believe it.

The target missile was probably a moored dirigible.

[bubbalubagus]

3. say our glorious leaders

I'm just glad i have to the right to call their bullshit. All this money could have been spent on international goodwill, which would help actual ppl on the ground. Rather than this system, which will only maybe possibly sorta shoot down a missle that wouldn't have been launched in the first place were we not so keen on demonstrating capitalism's "superiority".

It's like buying a gun, i feel some people are dissapointed in their purchase if they never get to use it "in self defense"