U.S. Set for Biggest Missile Defense Test in 18 Months

[NVMojo]

August 28, 2006

FT. GREELY, Alaska — The U.S. military will test its missile defense system Thursday, the fullest demonstration since a pair of tests grounded the program 18 months ago.

Military officials are seeking to lower expectations. Although a target missile will be fired from Kodiak Island, Alaska, and an interceptor rocket topped with a "kill vehicle" will launch from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base, military and industry officials say the goal isn't to actually shoot down the missile.

"We are not going to try to hit the target," said Scott Fancher, head of Boeing Co.'s ground-based missile defense program. "It is not a primary or secondary test objective to hit the target."

After a tour of the missile interceptor silos here Sunday, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said that although he wanted to see a "full end-to-end test," he was patient. He rejected suggestions that the system should try to hit the target this time.

"Why not proceed in an orderly way with the kind of the test expert people ?" Rumsfeld told reporters. "They do not have to do it to demonstrate to you."

more...

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-missile28aug28,0,4175206,print.story?coll=la-home-nation

[kurth]

1. Demo predicted to be successful

using Diebold-approved software.

[greyl]

2. "the goal isn't to actually shoot down the missile." ?!

So, they've passed the test before it's even begun! :)

Actually nothing to smile about, because this has been a huge waste of money since it began.

[atfqn]

8. Yes this confused me as well.

I mean this is titled as a "missile defense system." Yet actually defending a target is not a primary or secondary concern... I suppose the primary concern was economically inflating the defense industry and the secondary concern was pissing on all of our nuclear agreements.

[ShockediSay]

9. IT DOESN'T WORK, STUPID

except, as you say, to 'inflate the defense industry'

and don't forget their lobbyi$t$

[greyl]

13. Eggzackly, I agree. nt

[Supersedeas]

15. no worries Good Morning Merica, Today Show, Faux Friends and Sosobad

will be doing cartwheels in celebration -- ON CUE.

[whistle]

3. Watch out, every time BushCo conducts tests and mock battles

...some kind of terrorist incident happens and the tests become real terror attacks here in the U.S.

[Jacobin]

4. "We are not going to try to hit the target,"

Um, because they know they can't?

:eyes:

[BootinUp]

6. I don't know if the program is well run

but its not possible to make that assessment from this report IMHO. They can gather plenty of data even from a failure for later analysis.

[ConcernedCanuk]

17. Don't have to hit it if they are launching a nuke . . detonate it remotely

.
.
.

USA is just itching to use it's nukes -

and if a nuke is detonated even close to an incoming missile, if it doesn't destroy the incoming, the blast will sure as hell deflect it

So if the "deflected" missile hits Canada or Mexico -

That's just "collateral damage" ya know . . .

[underpants]

5. Bar lowered to "more accurate than Hezbollah" level

and THEY couldn't hit dark in the night!

How do you miss Israel????

[sakabatou]

7. Maybe the laser sattelites was a better idea...

:sarcasm:

[Eugene]

10. The system is operational, but they won't test it to hit anything?

They have set expectations so low that the test will be successful
if the rocket makes it off the ground.

[Viking12]

11. I think they should get Bob Uecker to do the play-by-play

"Just a bit outside..."



Edited to fix image.

[greyl]

16. lol nt

[gratuitous]

12. Sorry New Orleans and the Gulf Coast

No money for cleaning up the Katrina mess, but we can blow several million dollars on a test of a system designed to stop a non-existent threat.

When I think of what Habitat for Humanity or Mercy Corps or the Church of the Brethren Disaster Relief folks could do along the Gulf Coast with this kind money, it is to weep that it's being stuffed into the pockets of defense contractors to no purpose.

[yellowcanine]

14. Seems we have adopted the Sovet Space Program strategy.

The Soviets used to keep their space shots secret until after the fact. Then if they failed we never heard about them. If they succeeded - well then they announced it. This seems to be a more sophisticated version - "no we are not actually trying to hit the target." But if we do, "whoopee!"

[Nihil]

18. Ha ha ha ha ha!

> "We are not going to try to hit the target," said Scott Fancher,
> head of Boeing Co.'s ground-based missile defense program.
> "It is not a primary or secondary test objective to hit the target."

Well fuck me ... a missile defense system that doesn't have "hit the
target" as a primary or secondary test objective?!

He might as well paint "We couldn't do it anyway!" in forty foot letters.

:rofl:

America's 21st century defence systems: It's all down to good luck
and an easy target!