August 26, 2004

Arrow-2 missile fails latest test

Israel and the US failed in latest attempts to launch an Arrow 2 missile against a Scud D like missile with a warhead that separates in flight in order to confuse the defending interceptor that took place at Point Mugu off the US West coast on Thursday.

The failed attempt came after the two countries launched a successful Arrow 2 missile test that intercepted and destroyed a live Scud B missile over the Pacific Ocean at then end of July. The Scud D missile considered to be the most sophisticated missile of its kind is in Syria's hands. Thursday's failed attempt was the thirteenth operational testing of the system since it was built and the eighth time its weapons system was tested.
[...]
Since 1998, the US has provided Israel with over a billion dollars in grants to research and develop the Arrow missile in addition it has also provided funding for two programs to compliment the Arrow, the Boost Phase Intercept Program and the Tactical High Energy Laser program.
[At least this was one thing the Clintoon Administration got right!--Jen]

Iran continues to develop more sophisticated long-range missiles such as the Shihab 3, which can be armed with chemical or nuclear warheads. Syria also maintains a sizeable ballistic missile arsenal and like Iran is keen on upgrading and expanding its capability. Syria already has stocks of chemical weapons. The Arrow missile is geared at intercepting such threats before they reach Israel.

...or our troops in Iraq!
Let's keep our fingers crossed and send our prayers up that this brilliant Arrow team can work the problem and make the system completely functional.
Not only do we have the safety and security of Israel and Iraq to worry about, but we need our SDI up and running in case Kim Jung-il of North Korea decides to use his nukes on us!
A vote for Bush on Nov. 2 is also a vote for Missile Defense, which Kerry's already said he would defund.
In one of the few busy moments of his 20-year long Senate career, Sen. Kerry actually sponsored an amendment in 1985 to end President Reagan's SDI program, which, mercifully, was defeated!
Kerry's defense(less) posture

[...]
In fact, Mr. Kerry always has vigorously opposed missile defense. In 1985, he sponsored an amendment that would have slashed the spending authorization for SDI by more than 50 percent. The Congressional Quarterly (CQ) 1985 almanac reports that Mr. Kerry's amendment "would have denied all funds for 11 projects within the [SDI] program." CQ added: "Like most of the liberal SDI critics, Kerry insisted such a defense never would work."

BTW, the Liberals (and this includes the Left both in America and in the EU) have 2 stock arguments they've used perpetually to argue against SDI: one is that it won't work and the other is that it will spur a "missile (or proliferation) race" by the Other Side, neither of which have proven to be valid.
Saddam was working feverishly to get the Arab Bomb when the IAF took out his Osirak site in 1981 and the mullahs, Kim and Bashir Assad could care less whether we have a president who backs SDI or not.
In fact, they'd prefer not!
10 out of 10 of our enemies would vote for sKeery!