SOLVENCY: TESTS DEMONSTRATE NMD EFFECTIVENESS

NMD TESTS AGAINST MINUTEMAN MISSILES HAVE SUCCEEDED

JK DUTT, retired Lieutenant-Colonel, Indian Army, March 28, 2001 THE STATESMAN (INDIA) HEADLINE: Imponderables of a nuclear race //VT2002acsln

There were some failures during the NMD trials but after rectifying the faults, many Minuteman missiles carrying dummy warheads were satisfactorily intecepted over the Pacific Ocean.

PARTICULARS OF RECENT MISSILE DEFENSE TEST SHOWS ITS VIABILITY AS A SYSTEM

David Montgomery, The Scotsman October 5, 1999, Pg. 22 HEADLINE: ANTI-MISSILE TEST RAISES FEARS FOR STABILITY // ln-acs

Sheryl Irwin, a spokes-woman for the US department of defence, said the "hit -to-kill" test demonstrated that a warhead carrying a weapon of mass destruction aimed at the US could be "totally destroyed and neutralised. It was a successful intercept. It did everything it was supposed to do and it did it perfectly."

For the test, an unarmed Minuteman missile carrying a dummy warhead and a decoy balloon was launched just after 7pm on Saturday from the Vandenberg air base on the Californian coast 130 miles north-west of Los Angeles.

About 20 minutes later, the kill vehicle missile was launched from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. Ten minutes later, 3,000 miles from California and about 140 miles above the ocean, they met.

CURRENT TESTS PROVE MISSILE DEFENSE CAN STOP "ROGUE" ROCKETS

David Montgomery, The Scotsman October 5, 1999, Pg. 22 HEADLINE: ANTI-MISSILE TEST RAISES FEARS FOR STABILITY // ln-acs

THE United States military has successfully tested an anti-missile system designed to foil long range attacks on American soil by rogue states or terrorists using weapons of mass destruction.

NEW TESTS SHOW THAT NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE IS A FEASIBLE TECHNOLOGY

Tim McLaughlin, The Boston Herald, October 7, 1999; Pg. 037 HEADLINE: Raytheon's anti-missile a hit // ln-acs

While the hit marked the fifth consecutive intercept in the U.S. defense program's quest to develop hit-to-kill technology, the EKV' test came at faster speeds and at a higher altitude than earlier efforts.

"It is feasible and the way to go for missile defense," said Tom Johnson, a spokesman for the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization at the Pentagon.

NEW TESTS SHOW TECH EXISTS FOR ANTI-ROGUE STATE NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE

Tampa Tribune, October 8, 1999, Pg. 12 HEADLINE: Reagan's "Star Wars' proves its worth // ln-acs

But the system now being tested is designed to guard against attack by terrorists or by outlaw nations capable of launching only a few missiles.

Saturday's results show the nation is very close to being able to provide Americans considerable protection against a crazed attack by the likes of Saddam Hussein. This is no small achievement.

NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE TEST WAS A SUCCESS

Tim McLaughlin, The Boston Herald, October 7, 1999; Pg. 037 HEADLINE: Raytheon's anti-missile a hit // ln-acs

Raytheon Co. and partner Boeing Co. showed skeptics that they could build a missile capable of shooting down another missile with a successful test last weekend 120 miles over the Pacific Ocean.

FAILED TEST MEANS NOTHING -- IT WILL EVENTUALLY WORK

PAUL RICHTER, TIMES STAFF WRITER, Los Angeles Times, January 22, 2000, SECTION: Part A; Page 9; HEADLINE: MISSILE TEST FAILURE POINTS TO BIGGER PROBLEM// acs-ln 1-24-2000

Despite Tuesday's high-profile setback, experts on both sides of the issue say there is little question that before long the Pentagon's anti-missile warriors will be able to reliably pick off a single warhead streaking toward the United States.

AUGUST TESTS SHOW THAT HIGH ALTITUDE NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM CAN BE EFFECTIVE

James T. Hackett national security official in the Nixon and Reagan administrations,The San Diego Union-Tribune August 04, 1999, SECTION: OPINION Pg. B-9: HEADLINE: Tests show missile defenses can work // lnu-acs

On Monday, for the second time in just over six weeks, an Army Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile interceptor streaked into the New Mexico sky and smashed into a simulated warhead that had separated from a modified Minuteman ballistic missile.

While the earlier intercept was inside the Earth's atmosphere, this one was outside the atmosphere, more than 60 miles high. In addition, the interceptor's seeker proved its ability to distinguish the warhead from the rocket booster and other debris.

This is a major success for the hit-to-kill technology that makes it possible to stop ballistic missiles by direct impact. That was Ronald Reagan's basic requirement for the Strategic Defense Initiative -- to develop missile defenses without using nuclear weapons on the interceptors.

This THAAD hit outside the atmosphere proves the concept for both theater defenses and a national missile defense, and shatters the main argument of missile defense opponents: that hit-to-kill technology will not work and cannot distinguish the warhead from other objects.

FAILED TEST WAS EXPLAINABLE AND NOW AVOIDABLE

EDITORIAL; Omaha World-Herald, February 14, 2000, SECTION: ; Pg. 6, HEADLINE: Defer the Defense Decision // acs-ln

Pentagon officials said they are all but certain that last month's test of the experimental missile defense system went awry because of a small coolant leak. Backers of the system are expressing relief because if this is true, it means nothing was wrong with the interceptor rocket's fundamental working system.