Interceptor shield

Interceptor Shield Report
Nathan J Hunt
February 14th, 2010

On Thursday February 11th 2010 the Missile Defense Agency conducted the first true live fire test of the Airborne Laser systems against multiple target test missiles in a live fire test. The test comes after years of testing and adjustments and installation of equipment into the revolutionary Airborne Laser Test Bed Plane and testing of the system on the ground of the installed laser systems to determine its ability to track a target in flight.

The Airborne Laser is the most advanced missile defense system currently being deployed by the United States. The Airborne Laser system is a directed energy laser weapon unlike other systems that rely on kinetic impact to destroy a target in flight.

The First Target missile on Thursdays test was launched from a sea based launch platform located off the coast of California at Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range and within moments the ALTB “Airborne Laser Test Bed” system had locked onto the boosting missile in its boost phase with its targeting laser, following the lock-on a few moments later the ALTB fired its high-power megawatt laser at the boosting missile heating it to critical mass and destroying the missile in flight.

The test was repeated again a few hours later when another test missile was launched from San Nicolas Island California and was again successfully engaged and destroyed by the Airborne Laser Test Bed system.

Laser systems in recent years for use in air defense have come into fruition and have been being used to destroy incoming artillery and small rockets rounds in warzones with a few ground systems already deployed and operational.

Back in the early 80’s Lasers were looked into as a means for missile and air defense but lasers of solid and liquid state had not reached the level to have enough power to destroy an object in flight and be small enough and portable enough to be feasible in use for a defense system, but with recent achievements in the 90’s and in 2000 of development of new types of Solid and liquid state laser systems the ability to deploy lasers for use in defense have become feasible.

Interceptor Shield Report
Nathan J Hunt
January 13, 2010

The Chinese government on Monday January 11th announced that they had successful conducted a test of a missile defense system that they stated is capable of intercepting medium range ballistic missiles. The government stated the test was a success but at this point no further information is available on where in China the test took place at, the test on Monday comes as China has denounced the pending sale of the Patriot missile defense system to the country of Taiwan that is currently in progress with the United States and China has stated the sale of the Patriot Missile Defense System would severely effect relations between the United States and China. In recent years the Chinese have been expanding their modernization programs to bring china’s military up to grade with programs for the Navy, Air Force and Army and further expanding its sub fleet and missile boomers strike ability.
Since the 1990’s China has been striving to expand and improve their ballistic missile forces and second strike ability but in recent years China has shown they are now putting effort into developing and acquiring missile defense technology and related knowledge .

China and Missile defense!
China in recent years has not only been expanding its offensive forces but has also been putting effort into developing technology for the development of missile defense systems. Most notably the Chinese conducted their first launch a satellite kill vehicle in January 11th 2007 that intercepted and destroyed and old weather satellite that the Chinese stated was of no longer of any use and was going to be replaced, this test not only showed Chinese ability to further develop their ability to of being able to intercept and destroy enemy satellites but also their ability to build a system for intercepting targets in orbit and now three years since the last test and again on January the 11th China has conducted a new highly visible missile defense test to demonstrate their expanding ability.

Interceptor Shield Report
Nathan J Hunt
October 28, 2009

The Japanese naval destroyer the JS Myoko “DDG-175” today on October 28th, 2009 achieved the second successful missile Intercept for Japans expanding missile defense program, with the intercept of a target test ballistic missile today. The JS Myoko was operating off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii where the JS Myoko tracked and monitored the target missile that was launched by Personnel at the U.S Navy’s Pacific Missile Test Range Facility.

The crew of the JS Myoko targeted and tracked the missile before firing a single SM-3 Block 1A missile that soon after successfully intercepted the test missile in a successful hit intercept.

The test today not only tested Japan’s third ship to be outfitted and equipped with missile defense ability but also preparedness of the system for integration of the newer SM-3 IIA class missiles, these new class of missiles are currently in joint development between the united states and Japan that are developing the next generation of the SM-3 Missile.

Work on upgrading the JS-myoko to have missile defense ability first started back in January of 2008 when Lockheed martin won the contract to start conversion of the DDG-175 to the Ballistic missile defense role. Previously in December of 2007 Japan conducted its first successful intercept of a ballistic missile with the naval ship the JS Kong.

Missile defense has come to the for front for the country of Japan in recent years with North Korea’s continued testing and developing of ballistic missiles that can threaten Japan along with North Korea’s testing of nuclear weapons, Japan has moved the issue of missile defense from the back to the for front and has since be striving to deploy systems to counter these threats and has expanded joint research and protection agreements with the United States.

Interceptor shield Report
Nathan J Hunt
September 14, 2009

Currently funding for the completion of the second ground based Interceptor silo’s site for field two at Fort Greely Alaska is at risk, with limited funding from the pentagon completion of field two is at risk of being delayed or stopped, the pentagon has stated to stop now and restart work at a later date will cost two times or more to finish then if construction were to be finished now. As it stands Fort Greely has three missile fields, with field three completed with 20 silos for the ground based interceptor and field two is under construction, field one is complete but is of an older design and currently has six silos’ online.

Why is completion of field two important?
It is important because currently online missiles at Fort Greely are distributed between field one and three, field one is of an older design and maintenance to keep field one online and operational costs twice as two separate individual fields of the new design cost to keep online and operational.

If field two is completed all online and operational missiles can be deployed between field two and three allowing field one to be brought offline and be primarily used when needed for operational testing and functionality of the system as was intended for field one when it was first built, this would be a cost saving not only for missile defense but for the American public. Second with completion of silo field two at a later date if the administration decided to increase deployed grounded based interceptors from the current stated amount of 30 interceptors and increase them to 40 or more ground based interceptors the silo’s at field two would be ready and in place for the increase.

Interceptor Shield Report
Nathan J Hunt
August 29, 2009

The mater first arose during diplomatic correspondence in late June when the United States first accused Pakistan of modifying US made missile systems that the United States had supplied to Pakistan to be used for other than their first intended role. The United States is accusing the Pakistani government of illegally modifying a Harpoon missile that were sold to Pakistan during the Reagan administration. The suspected modified missile is a Harpoon sea to sea attack missile that the United States is accusing Pakistan of converting the missile from a defensive sea attack missile into an offensive Sea to land attack missile to increase its ability for its navy to reach inland into India, today’s allegations comes after an unreported test was detected but not reported by Pakistan on April 23rd, 2009 and monitored by US Intelligence agencies, but Pakistan is stating the test was of a indigenously built missile system and not of a modified US made Harpoon missile. Modification of US made systems would be a violation of the Arms Control Act and will raise issue’s between the United States and Pakistan at a time when further aid for Pakistan is being debated in congress.

In a step to calm concerns the Pakistani government has invited the United States to inspect their current inventory of Harpoon missile systems to prove they have not modified their acquired systems from the United States.

Interceptor Shield Report
Nathan J Hunt
August 28, 2009

August 28, 2009, Breaking News: It is emerging today that the United Arab Emirates seized an arms shipment two weeks ago on August the 14th, 2009 and now being publicly confirmed by the UAE “United Arab Emirates” the shipment of armaments containing explosives detonators, Rockets launchers and RPG “Rocket Propelled Grenades” but no word yet on if the shipment contained any large scale missile or missile system parts destined for Iran’s ballistic missile program. The cargo of arms had been falsely labeled as oil drilling equipment bound for Iran. The shipment of armaments was headed for Iran before the ship was seized by the United Arab Emirates. Before the announcement was made today of the seized arms shipment both Iran and North Korea were given fifteen days to respond with a response to the illegal shipment.

Currently all weapon shipments to and from North Korea are banned by United Nation Security Council resolution 1874 that were put into effect following North Korea’s first Nuclear test, today’s announcement by the UEA of the seizure is the first attempted clear violation of the arms embargo to limited the North’s cash flow from weapon sales by the North Korean Government.

Interceptor Shield Report
Nathan J Hunt
August 28, 2009

Today on August 28, 2009 Raytheon Corporation at the White Sands missile test range in New Mexico has completed a key development test of the new SM-6 missile; the new missile uses an older standard missile airframe and propulsion system, but includes advanced guidance and tracking ability for increased accuracy and performance. Kirk Johnson Director of the Navy’s standard missile program said in a press release “The SM-6 program remains on budget and on schedule,” and “The weapon system provides advanced capabilities across the entire threat spectrum. The SM-6 will greatly enhance our fleet defense.”

Current information available on the new systems indicates the new SM-6 will have active onboard tracking radar that will allow the missile to engage targets outside of a ships radar coverage allowing greater distance of engagements compared to earlier versions that relied on semi active onboard radar..

Today’s test pushed the test SM-6 missile to its limits and fully tested all of the new missiles ability and provided crucial data for the U.S Navy for use in further development and research.

For Further Information See Below Link
PRNewswire

Interceptor Shield Report
Nathan J Hunt
August 26, 2009

Although the launch last morning on August 25, 2009 of South Korea’s first indigenously built space launch vehicle was a partial success, South Korea Deputy science minister Kim Jung-Hyun has stated that the satellite failed to deploy when the covering over the satellite nose section did not deploy and fall away as expected and that the extra heavy weight of the satellite caused the rocket to steer at a higher angle that made the second stage not be able to reach a high enough attitude.

The satellite is believed to have burnt up on re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. Despite the failure of the deployment of the satellite it should be noted that the test was a half success with the first and second stages successfully deploying in their stages and falling away, Staging of rocket sections is a tricky and complicated task and the fact that they were able to successfully complete the launching and staging of two stages on their space booster was an accomplishment. The main errors that prevented last morning test from being a truly successful test was the weight carrying issue in the second stage and the failure of deployment of the satellites aerodynamic protective nose cover.

South Korea and its partner Russia that is working alongside South Korea in the fielding of their space program will be assessing these findings and working to correct these errors.

Interceptor Shield Report
Nathan J Hunt
August 26, 2009

Following numerous setbacks and failed launches of Russia’s new Bulava sub launched ballistic missile system, action is now being taken to remedy and fix problems of the Bulava missile system, the Russian government is switching the current manufacturing plant that produces the Bulava after investigation it came to light of poor manufacturing of parts at the current manufacture, manufacturing of the Bulava and parts will be moved to a new production site but no word has been released yet on what company has been picked to continue production of parts for the Bulava SLBM system.

Since testing started the system has been plagued by failures including six failed live fire launches of the system. General Nikolai Makarov of the Russian Armed Forces is stated as saying “A final report on the causes of previous failed tests of the system should be done soon” but would not say when the next test of the Bulava would take place. If there are indeed production flaws in parts for the Bulava system further live fire tests may be delayed until the transfer of manufacturing to new facilities are completed and replacement parts can be built for the missiles already built to fix them.

Interceptor Shield Report
Nathan J Hunt
August 26, 2009

General Nikolai Makarov, of the Russian Armed Forces confirmed reports today that the Russian Armed Forces have deployed Missile Defense assets to the Russian far east border with North Korea and this move was to counter and engage any missiles that North Korea may launch that might suffer mishaps that could cause them to pose a potential risk of falling into the territory or Russia. Among the systems deployed is the S-400 air defense system that is one of Russia’s current most advanced air defense systems. This move also indicates an increasing unease by Russia on the actions of the neighboring country of North Korea.