missile defense system

Reversing years of Bush administration policy, the White House announced that it has scrapped plans for an Eastern European component of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) shield. Instead of placing radar and interceptors in Poland and the Czech Republic, the Obama Administration will instead deploy anti-missile capable warships in southern Europe and/or Turkey.

In addition to reorienting from a Russian threat to an Iranian missile threat, the move also means a shift from speculative, advanced anti-missile technology to older, proven systems.

Thanks to threats from North Korea, an experimental missile shield and radar system may be deployed to Hawaii before testing has been completed. After North Korea’s recent nuclear test and vague threats of launching another Taepodong-2 missile towards Hawaii, the Pentagon has decided to rush the still-in-development Army Terminal High-Altitude Air Defense missile systems and the SBX x-band radar into action. Although the technology has existed for many years it may finally get its first test in real-world conditions.

Should they cast their eyes skyward at just the right moment, a few lucky observers could see something spectacular this summer: a Boeing 747 splitting open a ballistic missile with a laser in mid-flight. After 12 years and $5 billion in R&D, the Missile Defense Agency’s Airborne Laser (ABL) will make its first real-world attempt to shoot down a missile in midair.

A GMD interceptor rocket on the launch pad. Photo: Missile Defense Agency

Protesters in Europe are rallying today against Bush Administration plans to build missile-defense installations in Poland and the Czech Republic, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that his nation will take retaliatory steps if the U.S. proceeds with these plans. But would such a system even work?

In theory, the system would destroy an incoming missile by intercepting it mid-course with a rocket carrying a kill vehicle. But critics have likened this method to hitting a bullet with a bullet—no easy task.

The Pentagons most recent test of the technology, originally scheduled for last year but delayed until May 25, was an embarrassment. The attack missile, carrying a dummy warhead, fell so far short of its target that the interceptor missile was never launched.

There has been only one successful intercept test since 2002. Last September, an interceptor fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California took down a dummy missile over the South Pacific. Critics say these tests arent realistic because they are carefully scripted, leaving little chance for the interceptor to be fooled by a decoy.

Even if the missile-defense system planned for eastern Europe works perfectly, it may not protect eastern Europe from missiles. Such a system is designed for high-altitude interceptions, so it works best when positioned between the launch site and the target, rather than near the target. Thats why U.S. missile-defense facilities are located on the California and Alaska coasts rather than inland.

The eastern European missile-defense system is intended to serve as a shield for the U.S., not Europe. So why would Poland and the Czech Republic want such a system? Because a U.S. military base on their soil may be the best protection of all. —Dawn Stover

While dirty bombs and bioweapons steal headlines, the Pentagon is plowing ahead with a 21-year-old plan to silence a more traditional weapon of mass destruction: the intercontinental ballistic missile. Despite widespread criticism, this summer the Missile Defense Agency will deploy the humble beginnings of a nationwide missile defense shield.