US Conducts Another Missile Defense Test As Pentagon Warns About Iranian Missile Capabilities

The US conducted another missile defense test in the Pacific. One of the interceptor missiles hit the target, while the second interceptor missed.

U.S. Navy officials say one of two short-range ballistic missiles shot from a military facility in Hawaii in a defense system test was hit by an interceptor missile fired from a Navy ship.

Vice Adm. Samuel J. Locklear says Saturday's trial marked the first time that the Navy — rather than the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency — oversaw the firing of a so-called Standard Missile-3 interceptor against a ballistic missile target.

The San Diego-based U.S. Third Fleet had command and control of the mission, in which two target missiles were fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai island.

An SM-3 fired from the USS Paul Hamilton directly hit the first target missile. Another ship, the USS Hopper, failed to intercept the second target missile that was fired.

These tests are absolutely critical given that the Iranians are pushing forward with their own missile technology and may now have missiles with sufficient range to hit Europe and may have the range to hit the United States within five to six years. Given that the Iranians are also pursuing nuclear technologies and nuclear weapons, it isn't a leap of faith to wonder whether the Iranians intend to mate the missiles with the nuclear weapons they're working towards.

Let's also keep in mind which candidate considers missile defense to be a vital part of our national security and which candidate for President would cut missile defense. Sen. Barack Obama has said that we should cut investment in unproven missile defense systems.



The only thing unproven here is that Sen. Barack Obama is up to the task of defending the US and its strategic interests worldwide.