Japanese Missile Intercept Sends Message To North Korea

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30th October 2010, 10:00am - Views: 667





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MEDIA RELEASE PR41977


Japanese Missile Intercept Sends Message to North Korea


BARKING SANDS, Kauai, Hawaii, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --


    Riki Ellison, Founder and Chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy


results of the successful Japanese missile intercept from the JS Kirishima

off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii and its significance. Ellison is one of the

top foremost lay experts in the field of missile defense in the world. His

comments include the following:


    "Against the back drop of the Kauai Eternal Veteran Memorial & Missile

Defense Viewing site at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Barking Sands,

Hawaii, a three-stage medium-range target missile holding a warhead, which

contained a few hundred pounds of explosives, shot brilliantly across the

Hawaiian sky. The target missile traveled west rising up to 130 miles up in

space with a maximum distance of approximately 900 miles."


    "A few hundred miles west of Kauai, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

(JMSDF) destroyer JS Kirishima (DDG-174) patrolled the waters defending an

area of ocean another few hundred miles further west. The JS Kirishima is one

of only four Japanese Kongō class destroyers equipped with Aegis Ballistic

Missile Defense (Aegis BMD)."


    "Without assistance, the Japanese crew of the JS Kirishima tracked the

speeding target with the ship's AN/SPY-1 radar and processed a firing

solution to intercept the incoming missile. Once a firing solution had been

achieved, the combat systems crew of the JS Kirishima launched a U.S. made

Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block 1A missile at the target."


    "The three-stage SM-3 Block 1A missile screamed towards the target at

close to 3km/s, locating and completely destroying the medium-range target

missile. The missile's kill vehicle slammed into the target with a combined

closing velocity of approximately twenty times the speed of sound, close to

130 miles up in space. Impact and destruction of the target missile happened

three minutes (5:09PM HST / 11:09PM EST) after the target missile launch

(5:06PM HST / 11:06PM EST)."


    "This exercise clearly orchestrated the geometry and physics of a

successful and realistic demonstration of Japan's Kongo Class destroyer's

ability to defend the homeland and population of Japan from a medium-range

ballistic missile launched by North Korea."


    "The JS Kirishima will soon join her three other Aegis BMD equipped

sister ships (JS Kongo, JS Chokai and JS Myoko) who have all been outfitted

in Hawaii and tested there annually over the past 4 years. These ships will

be patrolling the waters between Japan and North Korea offering substantial

24/7 protection to their country against ballistic missile threats from North

Korea. The allied force of the JMSDF combined with U.S. Aegis BMD ships from

the Navy's 7th Fleet, which currently patrol the international waters between

Japan and North Korea, provide a formidable deterrent for the protection of

Japan and U.S. forces located there."


    "South Korea and Australia watched this test with keen interest. They are

Government Defence Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance 3 image

two additional Pacific Rim U.S. allies that are interested in building BMD

ship capabilities for similar reasons of deterrence and homeland protection.

Australia would also use the BMD capability to protect its troops deployed

away from home."


    "It is of note that this week Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited

Hawaii and Admiral Robert Willard, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command

headquartered in Hawaii, will have missile defense as an additional tool of

deterrence for the U.S. diplomatic efforts in stabilizing the Far East region

during a presumed upcoming transition of leadership and power in North

Korea."


    "Our nation and world are safer with allies and friends such as Japan who

have missile defense capabilities and are capable of sharing the cost and

responsibility."


SOURCE: Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance


    NOTE TO EDITORS: Riki Ellison is available for on the record interviews.

Contact Barbara Maxwell at 703-299-0060 to schedule.


    CONTACT: Barbara Maxwell of MDAA, +1-703-299-0060


To view this and other AsiaNet releases please visit http://www.asianetnews.net






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