U.S.` Successful MD Test

As the U.S. succeeded in the missile test for the first time since the inauguration of the George W. Bush administration, the U.S. stepped closer to build the missile defense (MD) system.

The U.S. Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that a projectile launched from a prototype missile defense system successfully intercepted a mock warhead last night high above the Pacific Ocean.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronald T. Kadish, director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization said, ``We confirmed that the projectile destroyed the mock warhead. According to the analysis so far, everything has been done as planned.``

A target missile equipped with a mock warhead and balloon decoys was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to the direction of the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii at 07:40 p.m. (11:40 a.m. in Korean time) on Saturday.

21 minutes and 34 seconds later, the interceptor missile was launched from the Ronald Regan Military Base in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, 7725 kilometer away. This interceptor hit the mock warheads at an altitude of 225 kilometer with the speed of 25,600 kilometer.

Of the three previous missile tests since October 1999, two have failed (second test in last January and the third in last July). The U.S. plans to have another test that includes added decoys to simulate a real attack. The Bush administration has requested $ 83 billion of the MD related budget, which is $ 30 billion more than this year, to the Congress.

Han Ki-Heung eligius@donga.com