US Hits 4 out of 5 Missiles NEAR Simultaneously

choi

(1) News release: Ballistic Missile Defense System Engages Five Targets Simultaneously During Largest Missile Defense Flight Test in History. Missile Defense Agency, US Department of Defense, Oct 25, 2012.
http://www.mda.mil/news/12news0011.html

Summary:
(a) Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system successfully intercepted its first Medium Range Ballistic target in history
(b) PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) near simultaneously destroyed a Short Range Ballistic Missile and a low flying cruise missile target over water. That Short Range Ballistic Missile was launched from a "a mobile launch platform;" The agency does not say whether the platform was above or under the water.

Both (a) and (b) were manned by US Army.
(c) However, USS Fitzgerald (an Arleigh Burke class destroyer) of US Navy failed to hit a Short-Range Ballistic Missile with an SM-3 interceptor.

Therefore the title: US Zaps Four out of Five Targets in Missile Defense Test. Reuters, Oct 25, 2012.
(d) A medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) has a range of between 1,000 and 3,000 km.

(2) China Dismisses Reports About Missile Test. Xinhua, Oct 25, 2012.
http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/ ... ontent_15847272.htm

(3) US Sends Nuclear-Powered Submarine Ohio to Senkaku islands. Voice of Russia, Oct 25, 2012
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_10_2 ... to-Senkaku-islands/
(equipped with cruise missiles, not nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles)

(4) 奥巴马罗姆尼阵营辩论对台军售. VOA Chinese, Oct 25, 2012
http://www.voachinese.com/conten ... 121025/1533385.html
("在这场由约翰霍普金斯大学高等政策研究所与美国百人会共同举行的中国政策辩论会中，代表奥巴马竞选阵营的是奥巴马总统的前白宫亚太政策资深主任贝德(Jeffrey Bader)，代表罗姆尼阵营的是曾经担任切尼副总统副国家安全顾问的弗里德伯格(Aaron Friedberg)")

Note: The debate was held yesterday (Oct 24) at Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS; at Washington DC), John Hopkins University. Friedberg is currently a professor in Princeton University.

(5) Nuclear Carriers Headed For Oblivion. Sttrategy Page, Oct 25, 2012
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htmoral/articles/20121025.aspx
("The US Navy is about to retire its first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise. This ship entered service in 1961 and will be decommissioned next year. * * * three years ago the US Navy retired its last non-nuclear aircraft carrier, the USS John F Kennedy")

Note:
(a) USS Enterprise (CVN-65) and USS Enterprise-class and USS John F Kennedy (CV-67) are of Enterprise and Kitty Hawk classes, respectively.

(6) Aircraft For Little Ships. Sttrategy Page, Oct 25, 2012.
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20121025.aspx

Note: The report is based on
(a) Press release: Fly Like an Eagle: New Launch and Recovery System Takes UAV Into the Future. Office of Naval Research, Oct 10, 2012
http://www.onr.navy.mil/Media-Ce ... -Recovery-CLRE.aspx
("CLRE [acronym of Compact Launch and Recovery System] uses a compressed-air launcher to shoot the Scan Eagle into the sky. * * * To land, small hooks on the UAV’s wings catch hold of rope suspended from the system’s extendable mast and arms. Once the mission is completed, the whole system can be folded up, like a folding chair or table, for storage.
(b) Launch & Recovery. Insitu (based in Washington state, US and Queensland, Australia), undated
http://www.insitu.com/systems/launch-and-recovery
("Our unmanned aircraft are recovered using the patented SkyHook® recovery system. A cable is suspended from roughly 50 feet (15 meters). The aircraft flies toward the cable, and a hook on the aircraft’s wing catches the cable")