25 January 2002
Navy Will Test Anti-Missile Rocket Over Pacific Ocean
(Rocket will be launched from a guided-missile cruiser) (210)
Washington -- The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Navy will
test an anti-missile rocket fired from a guided- missile cruiser over
the Pacific Ocean January 25.
The Pentagon said in a brief announcement the missile test is part of
a program to test and develop anti-ballistic missile systems designed
to intercept and destroy long-range missiles before they can strike
the United States.
The Navy will launch a prototype interceptor missile from the
Aegis-class, guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie in the Pacific Ocean
to intercept an Aries target missile launched from the Pacific Missile
Range Facility at Kauai, Hawaii, the Pentagon announcement said.
It will become the first test of a ship-launched interceptor's
performance in space, the Pentagon said.
Instead of testing whether the interceptor can hit an enemy missile in
space, it will be a test of the interceptor's guidance system, the
Pentagon said, thus allowing engineers to make any necessary
corrections before the first scheduled intercept test later in the
spring.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
