Fledgling US missile shield largely unproven

[cynatnite]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Reports that North Korea is preparing to test fire a long-range missile have drawn renewed scrutiny of U.S. efforts to build a reliable system to intercept such missiles, which is still not fully working.

Washington has built up a complex of interceptor missiles, advanced radar stations and data relays designed to detect and shoot down a North Korean warhead, but tests of the system have had mixed results.

The Pentagon's testing office said in January it may offer only "some" protection, despite about $10 billion a year in development spending under President George W. Bush.

In eight intercept tests of the ground-based missile defense system, the interceptor has hit a mock incoming warhead five times. Testing was suspended after interceptors failed to leave their silos during tests in December 2004 and February 2005 -- failures blamed on quality-control issues.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060616/pl_nm/korea_north_shield_dc

[MercutioATC]

1. "Largely unproven"?? How about "Completely worthless"...

The Pentagon designed eight tests tailored, specificially, to show this system's strengths. It failed nearly half the time.

That's a $10B/year boondoggle.

[Richard Steele]

2. Misleading headline. Our 'missile shield' has been WELL proven...

...to not work. To be a FANTASY.
A SCAM, a FRAUD, a CONFIDENCE TRICK.

To be a money pit which is fed with the Official Justification
that it "MIGHT work, someday, when we have
more advanced technology which we are unable
to even concieve at the present time."

I paraphrased that bit in quotes, but that really _IS_
one of the ADMITTED, WRITTEN principles of this boondoggle:
that we need to spend BILLION$ to build it NOW,
so we'll be READY if someone ever invents the magical technology
to make it actually WORK.

(edit for spelling- "i" BEFORE "e", dagnabbit!)

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. Answers to our energy crisis proven beyond a shadow of

a doubt...


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