Michael Gordon has a competent summary of debates surrounding a possible third missile defense interceptor site in eastern Europe. The Missile Defense Agency, according to Gordon, argues that a site in Poland or the Czech Republic would “position the interceptors…
A reader notes that, among the FBI documents related to domestic surveillance the ACLU obtained, one document details surveillance of a protest, planned by Los Angeles Catholic Worker, of a 2001 test of what was then called the National Missile…
MDA Director Trey Obering offered two thinly veiled “hypothetical” scenarios that illustrated his case for missile defense. Scenario 1: North Korea tests a nuclear weapon and a ballistic missile capable of carrying the weapon to the United States. North Korea…
Arms Control Today asked MDA Director Trey Obering about speculation that MDA is scaling back testing to avoid further failures. Obering asserted that MDA would conduct four flight tests over the next year: ACT: Going back to testing, there are…
In a pair of recent posts (12 JUN 2005 and 20 JUL 2005), I speculated the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) would scale back testing, largely to save itself embarrassment. Image of an intercept during from IFT-7. You won’t be seeing…
Ever seen a mock-up of the Multiple Kill Vehicle interceptor? I lunched at the Army & Navy Club today, attending the George C. Marshall Institute’s Washington Roundtable on Science and Public Policy with MDA Deputy for Advanced Systems Gary Payton.…
How do you do, Joe? Find the room comfortable, do you? No complaints? In May, the Washington AeroSpace Briefing reported that MDA Director Trey Obering “appeared to imply that a controversial kill vehicle payload [for the Near Field Infra Red…
General Obering and the Missile Defense Agency want to build microsatellites that look like warheads and decoys to help them practice looking dumbfounded when the interceptor fails to leave the silo. Sorry, that was peevish. Let me try again: MBA,…
In response to my post, Trey Obering is a Fool, MDA Spokesman Rick Lehner has transcribed the General’s remarks from an audiotape. I agree with Obering’s remarks, as transcribed by MDA: We are not desiring to go against a Chinese…
One year after Boeing began sticking missile defense interceptors in Alaska’s frozen tundra, Alex Fryer at the Seattle Times has a long article on the travails of the US Ballistic Missile Defense System. After three flight test failures, MDA doesn’t…
