U.S. Military Conducts Missile Defense Test
US Military News
The Missile Defense Agency, the U.S. Air Force's 30th Space Wing, the Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense, and U.S. Northern Command conducted an integrated exercise and flight test of the ground-based midcourse defense element of the nation's ballistic missile defense system.
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US losing military edge to Russia, China: American experts:
Russia and China have recently test-fired state-of-the-art intercontinental ballistic missiles with reported supersonic warheads that can evade even the most complex of missile defense systems. Ref. Source 1w.
Science group warns of shortcomings in U.S. Missile defense:
The ground-based midcourse missile defense system, has been tested under highly scripted conditions only nine times since being deployed in 2004, and failed to destroy its target two-thirds of the time, the Union of Concerned Scientists said in a report. Ref. Source 7t.
U.S. Shoots down intercontinental-range missile for 1st time in key test for defense system. The military launched the interceptor from a silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in an attempt to shoot down a test missile fired from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific. The test, which comes amid heightening tensions with North Korea, was a major challenge because an intercontinental ballistic missile flies faster than a shorter-range missile. Ref. USAToday.
Yes, they fly much faster and hitting one is like trying to hit a bullet with a BB rifle. So, this test shows we can do it in a set piece test when we know something is about to happen. Now, how are we going to show we can do it when we have zero warning on a target coming from an unknown location?