Posted on 02/24/2005 8:25:04 PM PST by F15Eagle
WASHINGTON (AP) -- An experimental naval interceptor shot down a short-range ballistic missile target during a test over the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, missile defense officials said.
It is the fifth kill in six tries for the interceptor, called a Standard Missile-3, said Rick Lehner, a spokesman for the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency.
During the test, a target ballistic missile, similar to a Scud, was launched from the island of Kauai at 4 p.m. ET. The USS Lake Erie, a cruiser equipped with the Aegis radar system and stationed 100 miles offshore, tracked the ballistic missile and then fired the interceptor to shoot it down. Two minutes later, the missiles collided.
The SM-3 interceptor will be deployed on ships later this year, Lehner said.
Also involved in the test was the Aegis destroyer USS Russell, which tested some of its missile-tracking systems.
The SM-3 doesn't have the range of the experimental land-based national missile defenses located in Alaska and California, and it is envisioned for use in protecting allies or U.S. forces from short-range ballistic missiles launched over a body of water. Potential scenarios where it could see action include missiles fired by North Korea at Japan, or by China at Taiwan.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
The target was hit outside the atmosphere and during descent.
The Union of Concerned Scientists is deeply saddened.
Are they sending a video of this event to Kin Jong Il?
what is the range for the Standard-3?
Wait a minute! The MSM told me NMD was a failure. They said this is all a waste of money. They said we could simply rely on the goodwill of North Korea, Iran etc.
Now I don't know what to think.
< /sarcam>
bump
Classified.
The missile is not capable against surface or air-breathing threats, and its warhead is only effective outside the atmosphere - but it works.
Layered defense is what is going to work. We need a variety of systems and attack modes to defeat ballistic missile threats. The particle beam/laser ray isn't there yet, but this will do for now to reduce enemy confidence in their probability of success. No point in pi$$ing off Superman if you can't really hurt him...
True - though with the ABL system looking as though it really does work, the only "hole" we have left is midcourse or cruise - and if we can get the land-based interceptors to work (without Microsoftish problems), that will probably be covered, too.
Here's a stray thought I had - with the SM3 and more and more surface naval forces becoming missile combatants, there's a possibility that the battleship could come back as a missile-heavy or missile-only combatant. After all, with cruise missiles and SM2s, it doesn't need to get nearly as close to its target as the big gun battleships did. And since missiles require a lot of freeboard as opposed to main gun ammo, it would make sense there, too.
I'm thinking something about the size of our old Iowa class ships that carries up to 1000 SM-class or Tomahawk missiles, split among SAM, SSM, and ABMs - plus a naval version of the ABL.
Why all this "Kiss me,come catch me"? What is the significance of this arms development?
Uh, say what?
It was good to read about this interception.
Probably a lot of Demon Rats were too.
Thanks for the ping.
It is shaping up to be that way. Land-based, Sea Based, and the Airborne Laser once that becomes operational.
I'm guessing since they call it a Standard 3 that it's pulled up on the rails like the SAM Standard used to bring down aircraft (unfortunately, what the USS Vincennes released a number of years ago). The Standards are automatically pulled from below via commands from the Aegis system to engage the targets. They must have expanded Aegis to have a fourth or higher third plane (depending upon how they classify it: sub, surface, air, ballistic engagement).
if so, that would be a pretty slick system. But you don't want to get labeled "incoming hostile" or "imminent threat" accidentally, that's for sure. (Not the official terms, just to demonstrate).
BTTT
"what is the range for the Standard-3?"
I thought that we were going to have a Monty Python skit going.
Bridge Keeper
What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
Arthur
What do you mean? An African or European swallow?
Arrrggghhhhhhhhhh
Actually, it launches straight out of the VLS cell and does not require the rail-type launcher, which is part of what distinguishes it from the SM 2ER Block IV-A, which was the prior ABM system. The other part is that the SM 2ER IV-A was actually just as capable against air and sea threats as the regular SM 2ER, which the SM3 isn't - but the SM3 is faster and is thought to have a much longer range, which allows it to intercept ICBMs above the atmosphere, which the other one couldn't.
IIRC, the thought among US naval officers now is to just attach large "missile supply ships" to AEGIS cruisers/destroyers. Just a big boat full of VLS cells, a pilothouse, and propulsion.
Thanks. Yeah I wondered how it would have enough range if it was roughly the size of the SAM's. Pretty wild stuff.
They need to come up with a cooler name...
Sounds like a name that would be given by a North Korean rocket scientist.
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