A Missile Defense Agency interceptor missile successfully launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Dec. 5. The launch was part of an exercise and flight test involving the interception of an intercontinental ballistic missile by a ground-based interceptor missile. The interceptor missile was designed to protect the United States against a limited long-range ballistic missile attack.
For this exercise, a target missile launched from the Kodiak Launch Complex in Kodiak, Alaska. About 20 minutes later, an interceptor missile launched from Vandenberg’s Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site.
“The nature of [the] launch presented some incredibly unique challenges,” Col. David Buck, 30th Space Wing commander and launch decision authority, said in a press release. “The team here at Vandenberg masterfully manages the Western Range, but … we had to synchronize our efforts with Kodiak, which raises the bar.”
From all initial indications, the mission was a success. Program officials will continue to evaluate the system’s performance based on data obtained during the test.
—Amy Asman
This article appears in Dec 11-18, 2008.
