Failure to Launch Marks U.S. Missile Defense Test

A U.S. missile defense test failed yesterday when “an incorrect system setting” prevented the launch of an interceptor missile, the Missile Defense Agency announced (see GSN, Mar. 9).

The agency had planned to engage two targets simultaneously with the Aegis-class USS Lake Erie by firing two interceptors, but when the first interceptor failed to launch, the second interceptor’s launch was cancelled, according to an agency release.

Officials had planned to shoot down a ballistic missile with a Standard Missile 3 interceptor while attacking a mock aircraft with a Standard Missile 2 (MDA release, Dec. 7).

The test failure was the second in nine attempts, said agency spokesman Chris Taylor, and the agency plans to repeat the test attempt, probably next year, the Associated Press reported (David Briscoe, Associated Press/Forbes.com, Dec. 8).

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