US successfully conducts this year's first missile defense test

Posted on: Feb. 24th, 2006 || Source: aimpoints.hq.af.mil | E-mail Article | Print Article

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A missile rose more than 160 kilometres into the atmosphere from Alaska's Kodiak Island on Thursday in the first of several tests planned this year for the U.S. missile-defence system.

The 11-metre-long missile travelled about 4,000 kilometres over the Pacific Ocean toward the California-Mexico border before splashing down, said Missile Defence Agency spokesman Rich Lehner. The purpose was to test upgrades to early-warning radar installed in 1980 at Beale Air Force Base in northern California.

"Everything went very well," Lehner said.

"There were 26 test objectives and every one of them was met."

Read the full article

• Eurofighter Tranche 2 Aircraft deliveries to Partner Nations Begins
• Hawgsmoke 2008 exercise to continue despite A-10 inspections
• Lockheed Receives Contract For Four C-130J Aircraft For Qatar
• Boeing Announces New Rotorcraft Program: AH-6
• Russia's arms sales to Venezuela for defense only - Lavrov
• Pentagon denies Iran forced down U.S. plane
• Boeing Awarded Initial Phase of Estimated $3 Billion Contract for C-17 Support
• B-52 squadrons set to swap out at Andersen
• Inspections ordered for A-10 Thunderbolt IIs
• DARPA Kills Oblique Flying Wing
• Stennis Puts New Growlers to the Test
• Gripen NG shortlisted in Brazil
• Russia's UAC optimistic over Indian fighter tender
• Russia's MiG fighter contract with Algeria 'still in effect'
• Sukhoi starts testing 2nd Su-35 fighter prototype