2nd missile defense system experiment in 2010 does not work properly

An additional test has been unsuccessful by the nation’s missile defense system. Billions of dollars have been spent over the years on various missile defense systems. However, each plan has something in common. There is not a single one that has proven even reliable, never mind effective.

Missile defense system fails again

Off of California, a test of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense, or GMD, long range missile defense system happened. The Missile Defense Agency conducted this test. The target was not hit by the anti-missile which means the test failed, reports CNN. Of course, the Pentagon is just happy to know that both the intercepting missile, or "kill automobile," and the long range missile which was the target both launched. The Kqajalein Atol in the Marshall Islands was where the long range dummy missile originated from while the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California was where the interceptor was coming from. The kill car didn't hit its target although both launched.

Success practically never happened

Eight out of the 15 targets tested have been shot down by Boeing's modern missile defense system located in both California and Alaska giving it a success rate of 53.3 percent. This test has not had an official reason for the failure, but it possibly is as a result of radar array, which is used to steer the interceptor missile to its target, called X-Band. Vital details about targets coming up is supposed to come from the X-Band array which is on a floating oil rig. A previous in test in January this year also failed to hit its target. Although numerous say it only happened accidently, an intercepting kill automobile did hit its target in December 2008 which made it the last successful GMD test.

A past full of failure

Successes in missile defenses have been few. Not many work. There have only been a few successes with all of the systems and technologies over the years that have been developed and tested. There has been more than $100 billion spent on missile defense systems within the last 30 years, beginning with the Strategic Defense Initiative under President Reagan. Anti-missile systems don't typically have good success in testing. In fact, non have ever managed a 100 percent success rate.

Articles cited

CNN

edition.cnn.com/2010/US/12/15/missile.defense.fail/?hpt=T2