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Latest US missile defense test in Hawaii a success

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-31 15:22

HONOLULU: The latest US missile defense test, conducted Thursday evening in Hawaii waters, was deemed a success as tensions continue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) over that country's missile program.

A short-range ballistic missile was fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on the island of Kauai and then was shot down by a three-stage interceptor missile from a destroyer, the USS Hopper.

This image provided by the US Navy shows a Standard Missile - 3 (SM-3) being launched from the USS Hopper Thursday July 30, 2009 in the latest Missile Defense Agency test in conjunction with the US Navy. [Agencies]

The test, conducted by the Navy and the Department of Defense's Missile Defense Agency, marked the 23rd firing by ships equipped with the Aegis ballistic missile defense system. With the latest test, there have been 19 successes, including the shooting down of a dead US spy satellite last year.

On July 4, the DPRK violated UN Security Council resolutions by sending seven ballistic missiles into waters off its east coast. There had been speculation the DPRK would launch a missile toward Hawaii -- about 4,500 miles away -- to coincide with the Independence Day holiday in the US.

Two other Navy ships participated in Thursday's test, dubbed "Stellar Avenger."

Related readings:  DPRK officially confirms missile launches  Report: DPRK may fire missile toward Hawaii  India, US agree nuclear sites, defense pact  Gates hopeful of missile defense progress at US-Russia summit  US missile interceptor test launches debate

According to a Missile Defense Agency statement, the Hopper fired and guided an SM-3 Block IA missile that intercepted the target missile about 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, the USS O'Kane simulated an engagement and the USS Lake Erie detected and tracked the target, the agency said.

The statement said the Hopper's weapons system guided its missile to a "direct body to body hit, approximately two minutes after leaving the ship."

The Lake Erie used an advanced version of the Aegis system in a simulation to evaluate how it would function with a SM-3 Block IB missile. Next year, the ship is to use the system to fire a new SM-3 Block IB, which features an improved propulsion system, signal processor and warhead seeker.