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19 June 2003

No Intercept in Fourth Sea-Based Missile Defense Test

(Defense Department report) (270)
A June 18 sea-based missile defense test failed in an attempt to
intercept its target.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) issued a news release soon after
an SM-3 interceptor missile, launched from an Aegis cruiser (the USS
Lake Erie) in the Pacific Ocean, failed to hit an Aries target missile
which was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai,
Hawaii.
In a news release issued prior to the test, MDA said the main mission
of Aegis ballistic missile defense Flight Mission-5 (FM-5) was "to
evaluate the SM-3 kinetic warhead's guidance, navigation and control
operation in space using an upgraded solid divert and attitude control
system (SDACS). Following the test, MDA indicated that the mock
warhead deployed, but the intercept did not occur as expected.
FM-5 is the second in a series of six flight tests to develop a
sea-based ballistic missile defense against short- and
intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Three earlier sea-based tests
met MDA expectations.
It was the first test to fail since the Bush administration announced
in December 2002 that it would field land-based defenses by September
2004: six interceptors in Alaska and four in California.
The smaller sea-based interceptors are scheduled for deployment in
2005.
Now MDA and Navy officials, as well industry experts from Raytheon and
Lockheed Martin, will analyze the June 18 flight test data and use the
analysis to improve the Aegis ballistic missile development and
testing program.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)