Monday, October 14, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, July 24, 2017
US Prepares Another Missile Defense Test as North Korea Ramps Up Threat
By Selected News Articles @ 1:16 PM :: 4330 Views :: Military

US Prepares For Another Missile Defense Test As North Korea Ramps Up The Threat

by Ryan Pickrell, Daily Caller, July 23, 2017

The U.S. will conduct another missile defense test in the near future to better address the growing ballistic missile threat from North Korea.

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a warning to mariners earlier this week to steer clear of the waterways between Kodiak Island in Alaska and Hawaii this coming weekend, according to the Kodiak Daily Mirror. U.S. military personnel are stationed at the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska to conduct a test of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile shield.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency conducted a successful intermediate-range ballistic missile intercept test using the THAAD system earlier this month. THAAD, a kinetic missile defense system designed to eliminate short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, has a perfect 14 out of 14 success rate for intercepts. In the most recent test, the missile shield intercepted an IRBM launched from an Air Force cargo plane near Hawaii.

North Korea tested a new IRBM — the Hwasong-12 — in May.

“This test further demonstrates the capabilities of the THAAD weapon system and its ability to intercept and destroy ballistic missile threats. THAAD continues to protect our citizens, deployed forces and allies from a real and growing threat,” Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves said after the latest test.

The upcoming test will determine whether or not the system can intercept incoming missiles inside Earth’s atmosphere, Leah Garton, a U.S. Missile Defense Agency public affairs officer, recently explained to the Associated Press.

THAAD is part of a three-tiered missile defense system to protect Northeast Asia. The regional defense system involves Patriot, THAAD, and Aegis interceptor systems, and any of these systems could come into play in a wartime scenario. The U.S. began deploying THAAD in South Korea in March, just after North Korea fired a salvo of extended-range Scud missiles into the East Sea/Sea of Japan during a military drill simulating an attack on U.S. bases in Japan.

Protecting the U.S. is the ground-based midcourse defense (GMD) system. The MDA conducted a successful intercontinental ballistic missile intercept test in late May. An interceptor launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California eliminated a mock long-range missile fired from the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific.

North Korea successfully tested a new ICBM — the Hwasong-14 — earlier this month. Experts suspect the long-range weapon could potentially deliver a nuclear payload to targets in Alaska, Hawaii, and the West Coast.

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii