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Here is the press release from the Missile Defense Agency:

The Missile Defense Agency announced today it has completed an important exercise and flight test involving a successful intercept by a ground-based interceptor missile designed to protect the United States against a limited long-range ballistic missile attack. The flight test results will help to further refine the performance of numerous Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) elements able to provide a defense against the type of long-range ballistic missile that could be used to attack the nation with a weapon of mass destruction.

For this exercise, a threat-representative target missile was launched from Kodiak, Alaska at 3:04pm (EST). This long-range ballistic target was tracked by several land- and sea-based radars, which sent targeting information to the interceptor missile. At 3:23pm (EST)the Ground-Based Interceptor was launched from the Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site, located at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The interceptor’s exoatmospheric kill vehicle was carried into the target’s predicted trajectory in space, maneuvered to the target, performed discrimination, and intercepted the threat warhead.

This was the first time an operational crew located at the alternate fire control center at Ft. Greely, Alaska remotely launched the interceptor from Vandenberg AFB. In previous interceptor launches from Vandenberg, military crews at the fire control center at Schriever AFB, Colo. remotely launched the interceptor.
The target was successfully tracked by a transportable AN/TPY-2 radar located in Juneau, Alaska, a U.S. Navy Aegis BMD ship with SPY-1 radar, the Upgraded Early Warning Radar at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., and the Sea-Based X-band radar. Each sensor sent information to the fire control system, which integrated the data together to provide the most accurate target trajectory for the interceptor.

The interceptor’s exoatmospheric kill vehicle is the component that collides directly with a target warhead in space to perform a “hit to kill” intercept using only the force of the collision to totally destroy the target warhead.

Initial indications are that all components performed as designed. Program officials will evaluate system performance based upon telemetry and other data obtained during the test.

This was the 37th successful hit-to-kill intercept out of 47 attempts against missiles of all ranges since 2001. Operational Ground-Based Interceptors are currently deployed at Ft. Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg AFB, protecting the nation, our friends, and allies against ballistic missile attack.

Flap will have video of the test intercept when it is available.

Now, what were the Democrats in the Congress saying about the failure of the missile defense system ever working?

Flap leaves you with Michael Ramirez’s famous cartoon about how President Reagan was ridiculed about “Star Wars.”

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The Missile Defense Archive

Missile Defense Watch: U.S. Missile Defense Agency Rolls Out the Airborne Laser (ABL) Aircraft

Likely says this piece in Time Magazine.

President George W. Bush promised to build a “Star Wars” missile shield, and he has kept that promise — even if there is no guarantee if the shield works or that it increases security. There has indeed been much Democratic derision focused on what has mostly been seen as a Republican program, one that has been lavished with $100 billion since Ronald Reagan called for such a shield at the height of the Cold War in 1983.

But even in a Democratic-run Pentagon the push for missile defense is going to continue. If Obama keeps Defense Secretary Robert Gates on, as some advisers are arguing he should, that would come as no surprise. “Russia has nothing to fear from a defensive missile shield,” Gates said Thursday as he argued for extending the system to Europe. The current plan is to place 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a missile-tracking radar in the Czech Republic by 2014. It’s strongly opposed by Russia, which views it as an unwelcome military threat in a region where it has always been pre-eminent. The other leading contender for the Pentagon post is Richard Danzig, a Clinton Navy secretary, who recently told reporters that the Obama team has “a strong view that national missile defense is a rewarding area and should be invested in.”

With Iran and North Korea beating the drums of a nefarious missile offense, it would be foolish for an Obama Administration to scale back a “DEFENSIVE” system which would discourage hostilities from these rogue states.

Plus, there are the issues of a resurgent, bellicose Russia with their large contingent of land based nuclear tipped missiles and an emerging China which has already demonstrated hostility towards the United States in space.

Now, whether Obama extends the misslie shield to Europe, may be one of his first national security calls. And, should Obama change direction, acquiesces to Russian demands and then Europe is blackmailed by Iran and/or Russia, the Bay of Pigs of John Kennedy may translate over to “The One.”

Flap bets he makes some pronouncements and superficial cuts to mollify some lefty Democrats and then supplements the apporpriation in his “BLACK” (Secret) budget.

Stay tuned…..

Now, the United States must push a NATO, Ukraine and Georgia mutual defense pact.

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The Day By Day Archive

A top Russian general said Friday that Poland’s agreement to accept a U.S. missile interceptor base exposes the ex-communist nation to attack, possibly by nuclear weapons, the Interfax news agency reported.

The statement by Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn is the strongest threat that Russia has issued against the plans to put missile defense elements in former Soviet satellite nations.

“Poland, by deploying (the system) is exposing itself to a strike — 100 percent,” Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of staff, was quoted as saying.

He added, in clear reference to the agreement, that Russia’s military doctrine sanctions the use of nuclear weapons “against the allies of countries having nuclear weapons if they in some way help them.” Nogovitsyn that would include elements of strategic deterrence systems, he said, according to Interfax.

As if Poland would be “safe” from Russian expansionism or a nuclear strike anyway.

The bloom is off the Putin rose in a resurgence of “Cold War” Russia. Typical Russian threats and why the United States and Europe need to strengthen NATO.

Do you think the EU will get the message or will they appease again?