DEFENSE DEPARTMENT REGULAR BRIEFING
BRIEFER: ADM. CRAIG QUIGLEY, SPOKESMAN
PENTAGON BRIEFING ROOM,
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 1:30 P.M. EDT
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2000



Q: What are the reasons for the postponement of the THEL test in New
Mexico?


Quigley: I think that the partial success of the THEL test caused our
engineers to think that it's more prudent to pause for a little bit,
make sure we find out why it was not 100 percent successful before we
try again. If it's something that could be corrected with a minimal
amount of effort and time, we'll do it.


And we'll think that that would be much more productive, to hold off
for that small amount of time, make that correction and then do the
test again. If it proves to be something more substantial, again that
would be not a -- it just doesn't make sense to hold the test until we
have a better understanding of why it was not more successful than it
was. Partially successful. We got the first missile on the first test.
But on the second one, we only got one of the two. Why? And we're not
sure why yet. So rather than charge ahead with the test again, we're
going to hold off for a little while, at least, until we can see what
we can learn and what might be a better way to correct that.


Q: Therefore, I assume that no date has been fixed for a new testing.


Quigley: No. We don't anticipate it be lengthy, but no specific date.