Go figure, US launches warhead... at it's self...

[Tom]

...thank GOD it was knocked out of the sky...

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/US/12/05/us.missile.test/art.missile.test.gi.jpg


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon conducted a successful test Friday of a missile shield system designed to protect the United States against attack, spokesman Bryan Whitman said.

The test involved the interception of a long-range ballistic missile launched from Kodiak, Alaska, with a ground-based interceptor launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.


Officials said Thursday that this would be the most realistic of the 13 missile shield system tests conducted to date.


So far, the U.S. military has shot down a mock warhead in space with an interceptor missile in seven tests. The interceptor carries a "kill vehicle," which is designed to destroy the target missile by crashing into it.


The Pentagon said this week that in Friday's test, the target would be a mock warhead accompanied by "countermeasures similar to what Iran or North Korea could deploy," according to a U.S. Missile Defense Agency official.


[Read more...] (http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/05/us.missile.test/index.html) [Video...] (http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/05/us.missile.test/index.html#cnnSTCVideo)


Why, all of a sudden, do we test our missile defenses in the middle of an economic crisis? Where would it have hit if the defenses missed? :O

[Jpmc10]

If they missed destroying it, that would've sucked alot.
I had a good run :|.

[worldking01]

I know why. Because you really cannot put a price on safety. No one quote this giving me some crap answer like 7 billion dollars or something like that. :)

[Butters]

I know why. Because you really cannot put a price on safety. No one quote this giving me some crap answer like 7 billion dollars or something like that. :)

7 billion dollars.

If it misses, it is a mock warhead, not a real explosive one.

[Phenom]

...thank GOD it was knocked out of the sky...



Why, all of a sudden, do we test our missile defenses in the middle of an economic crisis? Where would it have hit if the defenses missed? :O

Why not? We still need defense even if the economy is horrible....
That's crazy that it flew over all those major cities :D

[walmartshrty]

Like wow. I think I would take the 7 billion over safety. BUT THANKS. :D

[worldking01]

Like wow. I think I would take the 7 billion over safety. BUT THANKS. :D

Really. Because I used the 7 billion as "X" it is really 100 billion.

[walmartshrty]

Really. Because I used the 7 billion as "X" it is really 100 billion.

Really, when you think about it, I could do with 7 billions dollars as much I could do with 100 billion dollars. Anyone want that other 93 billion dollars out there for keeps?

[Jay Bird]

Well, it was fake, of course. Thank God... But yeah, at least we know the system works. I mean, with all these warheads out there, we need something to protect ourselves.

[The Chosen One]

Well, it was fake, of course. Thank God... But yeah, at least we know the system works. I mean, with all these warheads out there, we need something to protect ourselves.

But america have like 100 times more than everybody else.

edit:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMwKPmsbWE (LANGUAGE WARNING)

[conman1001]

The missle was fake, but the test wasn't successful, a decoy that was meant to see whether the defense system could target the real one didn't deploy.

[Jay Bird]

But america have like 100 times more than everybody else.

edit:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMwKPmsbWE (LANGUAGE WARNING)

Well yeah, I knew that. But still, I'm saying that it's still good to have a protectin system, since there may be a chance that one is accidentally launched. (Look that up)

[walmartshrty]

We have proven one thing: we can hit ourselves with a warhead. :O

[neo789]

Stupid. Stupid. STUPID.

I didn't know about this, and what if our defense MISSED during this time in our country? What would they say? "Oh I'MMMMMMM sorry." No. We need to be smarter than THIS.

[Jay Bird]

I love how most of you guys didn't read the whole thing. ;)

[Snathan!]

...thank GOD it was knocked out of the sky...



Why, all of a sudden, do we test our missile defenses in the middle of an economic crisis? Where would it have hit if the defenses missed? :O

Wouldn't there have been some way to contain it if the test failed?
Anyway, you guys are really lucky.
At least you can feel safer from real attacks.

[Balthasar]

Why, all of a sudden, do we test our missile defenses in the middle of an economic crisis? Where would it have hit if the defenses missed? :O

I think it's a good idea we did it. Think about all of the countries with nuclear capabilities. You never know when any one of them is going to launch nuclear assault. If a nuclear power were to launch an assault on us, we would have to be able to defend ourselves. The only way we can do that is by creating and developing defense systems. It's better to develop it now, with the economy down, than to develop it AFTER a nuclear assault.