The failure of the $214-million test Friday involved a ground-based defense system, designed by Boeing Co., to defend the U.S. from long-range ballistic missile attacks.
The Missile Defense Agency now has a testing record of eight hits out of 16 intercept attempts with the “hit-to-kill” warheads. The last successful intercept occurred in December 2008.
Intercept testing of the system was halted in early 2011 after errors resulted in two failed intercept tests in 2010 using a newer interceptor. The technology wasn't used Friday, but will be tested next year.
During the test, a target missile was fired at 11:30 a.m. PST from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Five minutes later, a three-stage interceptor was launched from a silo at Vandenberg.
After blastoff, the booster is designed to deploy a kill vehicle made by Raytheon Co. to hit the target at a designated point in space.
The kill vehicle is designed to lock on and eliminate high-speed ballistic missile warheads in space using nothing more than the sheer force of impact, known as a “hit-to-kill” defense, according to Raytheon.
The Missile Defense Agency did not yet know the cause of test failure. The agency said it is reviewing what occurred during the entire course of the test.
Maybe it was the cam nut bolt adjuster, the stabilizer quad on the dorsal side of the finster, or maybe, the gyro quit spinnen round, or, ah, well, what do you expect for $214 million, it just ain't worth as much nowaday. Nice livin out here in the Islands though .... keep the money coming.
