Back to Hawaii News index

Posted: Thursday, February 24th, 2005 4:40 PM HST

Experimental interceptor shoots down short-range missile

By Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) _ Military officials say an experimental naval interceptor shot down a target missile during a test over the Pacific off Kauai this morning. A spokesman for the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency says it's the fifth kill in six tries for the interceptor, which is called a Standard Missile-Three. The target short-range ballistic missile was similar to a Scud missile. It was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands at 11 a-m. An Aegis cruiser more than 100 miles offshore -- the U-S-S Lake Erie -- tracked the ballistic missile and fired the interceptor to shoot it down. The missiles collided two minutes later. Officials say the S-M-Three interceptor will be deployed on Navy ships later this year. (Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved.)