U.S. Conducts Successful Missile Intercept Test Over Pacific

(Demonstrated integrated systems and "hit to kill" technology) (710)

The United States conducted its fourth successful intercept of an
intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a test over the central
Pacific Ocean, the Department of Defense announced in a March 15 news
release.

A modified ICBM target vehicle was first launched from Vandenberg Air
Force Base in California Approximately 20 minutes later, a prototype
interceptor, called an exoatmospheric kill vehicle (EKV), was launched
from the Ronald Reagan Missile Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall
Islands. The successful intercept took place about 10 minutes later at
an altitude of more than 140 miles (225 kilometers), according to the
news release.

In addition to a demonstration of "hit-to-kill" technology, the
Defense Department said, the test involved the successful integration
of space- and ground-based sensors and radar to detect the launch and
track the missile in flight.

Sensors aboard the interceptor, or EKV, also successfully selected the
target instead of three balloon decoys.

Following is the text of the Defense Department statement:

(begin text)

U.S. Department of Defense
News Release
March 15, 2002

MISSILE INTERCEPT TEST SUCCESSFUL

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced today it has successfully
completed a test involving a planned intercept of an intercontinental
ballistic missile target. The test took place over the central Pacific
Ocean. A modified Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
target vehicle was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., at
9:11 p.m. EST, and a prototype interceptor was launched approximately
20 minutes later and 4,800 miles away from the Ronald Reagan Missile
Site, Kwajalein Atoll, in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

The intercept took place approximately 10 minutes after the
interceptor was launched, at an altitude in excess of 140 miles above
the earth and during the midcourse phase of the target warhead's
flight. This was the fourth successful intercept for the Ground-based
Midcourse Defense (GMD) Segment, formerly known as National Missile
Defense.

The test successfully demonstrated exoatmospheric kill vehicle (EKV)
flight performance and "hit to kill" technology to intercept and
destroy a long-range ballistic missile target. In addition to the EKV
locating, tracking, and intercepting the target resulting in its
destruction using only the body-to-body impact, this test also
demonstrated the ability of system elements to work together as an
integrated system. The test involved the successful integrated
operation of space and ground-based sensors and radars, as well as the
Battle Management, Command Control and Communications (BMC3) function
to detect the launch of the target missile, cue an early warning radar
to provide more detailed target location data; and integration of a
prototype X-Band radar (based at Kwajalein) to provide precise target
data to the EKV, which received the target updates from the In-Flight
Interceptor Communications Systems (IFICS) at Kwajalein.

The EKV separated from its rocket booster more than 1,400 miles from
the target warhead. After separation, it used its on-board infrared
and visual sensors, augmented with the X-Band radar data provided by
BMC3 via the In-flight Interceptor Communications System, to locate
and track the target. Sensors aboard the EKV also successfully
selected the target instead of three balloon decoys. Only
system-generated data was used for the intercept after the EKV
separated from its booster rocket. A C-band transponder aboard the
target warhead did not provide any tracking or targeting information
to the interceptor after the interceptor was launched.

Tonight's test is a major step in our aggressive developmental test
program, and is the fourth successful intercept in six attempts. We
will continue to pursue this testing regime to achieve a layered
approach to missile defense, using different architectures to deter
the growing threat of ballistic missiles carrying weapons of mass
destruction.

Over the next several weeks, government and industry program officials
will conduct an extensive analysis of the data received during the
flight test to determine whether anomalies or malfunctions occurred
during the test, evaluate system performance and determine whether or
not all flight test objectives were met. Since the system is in the
developmental phase of design and testing, performance of individual
elements and the overall system integration was as important as the
actual intercept.

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