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| Science & Technology |
| US tests ship-based defense system against short-range missile |
| 2006-05-25 |
| An interceptor missile fired from a US warship destroyed a short-range target missile in its last few seconds of flight, the US Missile Defense Agency said. "It was the first sea-based intercept of a ballistic missile in its terminal phase," the agency said. The USS Lake Erie, an Aegis cruiser that has been modified for missile defense operations, used a Standard Missile-2 Block IV missile to intercept a short range ballistic missile off Hawaii, the agency said. The goal of the test was to show that the target missile could be destroyed in the last few seconds of flight either with a direct hit or with a blast close enough to knock it down. "In today's test, the threat missile was completely destroyed by the combined effects of these two mechanisms," the agency said. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 Also read the US Navy wants to supplement its PHALANX CIWS with an intermediate range, all-altitude, missle-based system capable of simul or echeloned firing high-velocity mini-missles, equipped wid both conventional and nuke mini-warheads. The PHALANX will be still be kept and used as a last-ditch, shred everything-in-sight system. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-05-25 22:29 |
| #2 Exactly, that's the point of the story. This block of SM-2 can attack high altitude missiles on a ballsitic trajectory - not just medium-low level aircraft or cruise missiles. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-05-25 16:45 |
| #1 "short range ballistic missile" is not the same as "short-range missile" |
| Posted by: Creling Thash4784 2006-05-25 13:18 |