So the government has decided to shoot down a dead spy satellite with an SM-3 missile.  I gotta say this is pretty cool.  Of course, the official story is that we don't want the hydrazine gas that it uses as propulsion to take someone out when it crashes on earth.  Anyone who thinks about it for two seconds will recognize the incredible propaganda opportunity that has fallen into the government's lap (pun intended).

The SM-3 has been tested several times for the role of theatre ballistic defense.  It is carried by Aegis outfitted ships such as the Ticonderoga and Arleigh Burke class.  Interestingly enough, it is also used by foreign navies including Japan.

All the tests, of course, have been under controlled circumstances.  Now, we have a chance to prove that it works in less than ideal situations.  This is about as close as we can get to running an actual interception without a rogue nation launching on us.  And that is most likely what all this is about - or at least if that isn't what it's all about it's certainly a nice fringe benefit.

The successful interception will hopefully make players like North Korea think twice about doing anything crazy.  The proven ability to intercept a missile may actually provide a deterrence, especially as long as they have limited inventories.

Posted by: jcallery at 10:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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