A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system test was terminated when the target missile malfunctioned and failed to reach a safe-intercept area in the Pacific Missile Range Facility, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said yesterday.
This is a frustrating problem for MDA, which has had other tests where missile defense interceptors were functioning well and successfully, poised for an intercept shootdown, only to have the target perform too weakly, forcing MDA to cut short the planned test.
“The target did not have enough momentum to reach the area previously approved for a safe intercept at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii,” MDA stated. “Since the target never reached the intercept area off the Kauai coast, the two THAAD interceptors taking part in the flight test were not launched.”
MDA added that program officials will review data collected during the test, and will conduct an extensive investigation to determine the cause of the malfunction.
The terminated test in no way means that there is a problem with the THAAD defense asset, which is part of the U.S. multi-layered ballistic missile defense shield.