embarrassing…
Washington (CNN) — A U.S. missile defense test failed Sunday when a long-range missile missed its target because of radar problems.
The Defense Department said a target missile was launched from an Army test site at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands at 7:40 p.m.
Six minutes later, a second missile was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, to find the first one and destroy it.
Both missiles flew successfully, but missed each other because of a problem in the sea-based X-band radar, the department’s Missile Defense Agency said.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/01/missile.defense.test/?hpt=T2
By: Mercurius - 5th February 2010 at 11:23
I take it that information is newer than this
Sorry, I should have made it clear – Altwegg was speaking late in the afternoon of 1 February, so his statement should be more up-to-date than the press release issues just after the test that you had quoted.
By: sferrin - 4th February 2010 at 14:00
“I did not say it was the SBX radar… I’m not exonerating the SBX, but I am not saying it was solely an SBX problem. Speculation is something I shouldn’t be doing here. Let’s find out what the data says. Let the Failure Review Board analyze it.”
Executive Director, Missile Defense Agency David Altwegg
1 February
I take it that information is newer than this,
“”Both the target missile and ground-based interceptor performed nominally after launch. However, the sea-based X-band radar did not perform as expected,” the agency said.”
:confused:
By: Mercurius - 4th February 2010 at 13:49
Except it wasn’t the missile that failed but the radar. 😉
“I did not say it was the SBX radar… I’m not exonerating the SBX, but I am not saying it was solely an SBX problem. Speculation is something I shouldn’t be doing here. Let’s find out what the data says. Let the Failure Review Board analyze it.”
Executive Director, Missile Defense Agency David Altwegg
1 February
By: sferrin - 4th February 2010 at 13:43
150 million dollars in the water. Not bad, after all these tons of (otherwise justified) mocking for the Bulava’s failures.
Except it wasn’t the missile that failed but the radar. 😉
By: MadRat - 3rd February 2010 at 04:53
Apparently the radio beacon in the warhead bus failed to transmit. Hard to shoot the fish in a barrel when you can’t find the water in the barrel.
By: HAWX ace - 2nd February 2010 at 22:04
150 million dollars in the water. Not bad, after all these tons of (otherwise justified) mocking for the Bulava’s failures.
More: US anti-missile test of ‘Iran or N Korea’ attack fails (BBC)
UPDATE 1-US missile test mimicking Iran strike fails (Reuters)
By: Distiller - 2nd February 2010 at 08:26
That’s what tests are for.
Sign In
February 2, 2010 at 3:48 am