BARKING SANDS, Kauai, Hawaii, June 26 HI-missile-intercept
BARKING SANDS, Kauai, Hawaii, June 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Riki
Ellison, President of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance
(www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org) is in Hawaii where a successful intercept by
the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) occurred. His comments and
observations on the test are as follows:
"Today in Hawaii, on a dark, cloudy, muggy, late afternoon day, the
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system achieved the 29th overall
successful ballistic missile intercept and the 5th intercept for the THAAD
system since the United States government made the decision to deploy missile
defense in December of 2002."
"At approximately 4:31p.m. HDT one THAAD single-stage solid fueled missile
was fired from its eight missile canister mobile launcher based on the edge of
the Pacific Ocean on the western shore of Kauai, Hawaii streaking upward
through the dark cloud layer. The THAAD X band phase array radar unit placed
nearby at the Pacific Range Missile Facility located, tracked and
discriminated an incoming separating short range ballistic missile sending
this information to launcher and interceptor missile. The kinetic intercept
occurred a few minutes later using the missile's infrared heat-seeker in the
upper atmosphere as the separating offensive warhead went through re-entry on
its terminal phase of flight. Differing from previous tests was that the
target missile was dropped from a C-17 Air Force transporter before it ignited
and traveled through space."
"This test demonstrated THAAD's capability to take out a two-stage
missile, as its previous 4 tests demonstrated THAAD's success with the single
stage scud like missile. This successful test follows the activation of the
US Army's Alpha Four Battalion for THAAD last month at Fort Bliss, El Paso,
Texas."
"This 29th validation of missile defense and the 5th Demonstration of the
Army's THAAD program allows the United States to move from a rogue nation
missile defense position to a regional strategic evolution for missile
defense. The THAAD system offers mobility and much larger areas of protection
than the current terminal deployed systems such as the PAC-3 and SM-2 that the
United States has deployed today. Combining the Army's THAAD system with the
PAC-3 systems and the Navy's Aegis terminal and mid-course missile defense
systems offers regional security for large areas of the world."
"The United States Combat Commanders whose areas of responsibilities range
from the Middle East (CENTCOM) to the Pacific (PACCOM) and Europe (EUCOM) have
the fundamental missile defense systems to bring about regional security in
their areas of command from ballistic missile threats. This infusion of proven
layered mobile missile defense systems protects and dissuades those that
threaten both the civilian populations and military forces in the respective
regions."
"The world needs non-escalatory and non-lethal missile defense systems
like what was demonstrated today to provide global counter-proliferation and
protection from those with intentions to threaten or harm with ballistic
missiles."
Riki Ellison is available for interviews from Hawaii and will provide
candid remarks and observations on the importance of the THAAD system and can
be reached at 571-213-3328 or call Mike Terrill at 602-885-1955 to arrange.
SOURCE Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance
