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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, June 20, 2007

MANA
Missile test set for tomorrow

Advertiser Staff

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has scheduled its latest Aegis ballistic missile defense test off the Pacific Missile Range Facility tomorrow.

This will be the first in a series of agency tests to involve an Aegis-class destroyer. Previous tests have used Aegis cruisers.

A two-stage target rocket will be launched from the Kaua'i missile range. It will be tracked by U.S. and Spanish ships at sea.

The destroyer USS Decatur will launch a Standard Missile 3 at the target. The missile's kinetic warhead is designed to track the target and then crash into it — a technology the Missile Defense Agency calls "hit to kill."