SEA-BASED MIDCOURSE TEST COMPLETED
The Missile Defense Agency and the Navy conducted a successful
flight test in the continuing development of a Sea-Based
Midcourse (SMD) Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) on
Friday, January 25. Flight Mission-2 (FM-2) involved the launch
of a developmental Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) and kinetic warhead
(KW) interceptor from the Aegis Cruiser USS Lake Erie and an
Aries target missile launched from the Pacific Missile Range
Facility (PMRF) on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. The target was
launched at 9 p.m. EST Saturday. About eight minutes later, the
USS Lake Erie, equipped with Aegis Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric
Projectile (LEAP) computer programs and equipment, and having
tracked the target with the Aegis SPY-1 radar and developed a
fire control solution, launched the newly-developed SM-3. The
SM-3 acquired, tracked, and diverted toward the target,
demonstrating SM-3 fourth-stage Kinetic Warhead (KW) guidance,
navigation and control. Although not a primary objective,
during this early developmental test, the KW was aimed at the
target, resulting in a hit-to-kill intercept at approximately
9:18 p.m. EST.

The primary objective of this test was to evaluate SM-3
fourth-stage Kinetic Warhead guidance, navigation and control.
Extensive engineering evaluation data was collected for analyses
in preparation for future flight tests. Program officials will
evaluate the data and incorporate changes as required.

Friday's test was the fourth in a planned series of nine
developmental test flights for the SMD program. An extensive
ground test program had already conducted successful testing of
elements of the SM-3 kinetic warhead. This mission also
included the first fully operational SM-3 with a live Solid
Divert and Attitude Control System to steer the KW into the
target. Air defense variants of the Standard Missile are
currently at sea on over 50 Aegis cruisers and destroyers, with
more than 25 additional ships in the production/planned
pipeline.

The Missile Defense Agency and the Navy sponsor the SMD Program.
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is the prime
contractor for the development of the SM-3 missile. Lockheed
Martin Naval Electronic and Surveillance Systems, Moorestown,
N.J., manages the development of the Aegis Weapon System
installed on board Aegis cruisers and destroyers.

News media points of contact are Cheryl Irwin, Office of the
Secretary of Defense, Public Affairs, at (703) 697-5331 or Lt.
Col. Rick Lehner, MDA External Affairs, at (703) 697-8997.

While the U.S. Central Command
chief is satisfied with the type and level of American
troops in Afghanistan, if he needs more he can call on
them, said a Joint Staff spokesman.

Rear Adm. John Stufflebeem said Army Gen. Tommy Franks
could move whatever forces he needs in and out of the
theater of operations. "He'll do what he needs to do,"
Stufflebeem said of Franks. "Right now, he's happy with who
he has and what they're doing."

DoD officials said a squad-sized U.S. unit conducted the
raid on Hazar Qadam Jan. 24. "It was a relatively small
group" of U.S. forces, Stufflebeem said. The group killed
several enemies and captured 27 detainees.

U.S. forces launched the raid on the compound after
intelligence information revealed that the area might hold
some level of Taliban or Al Qaeda leadership. While U.S.
officials knew there was a cache of munitions in the area,
they were surprised at how large it was. Stufflebeem said
the U.S. forces found more than 400 60mm mortar rounds,
more than 300 rocket-propelled grenades, 300 100mm rockets
and thousands of rocket fuses. They also discovered more
than 250 automatic grenade launcher rounds and 500,000
small arms rounds.

The U.S. ground forces called in an AC-130 gunship to
destroy the munitions, Stufflebeem said.

CENTCOM forces are finding pockets of Taliban and Al Qaeda
around Afghanistan. Where the pockets are located, forces
will go in an eliminate them. Stufflebeem said these
pockets consist of 20 to 30 individuals. Their ability to
coordinate actions is severely limited. "The functioning of
Al Qaeda has been clearly taken down in Afghanistan,"
Stufflebeem said. "The backbone of what gave them their
communications capability is physically gone."

He said some limited communications capability does remain
-- mostly via satellite phones.

Stufflebeem also said U.S. forces lost a Predator unmanned
aerial vehicle in a landing accident. Enemy fire played no
part in its loss, Central Command officials said. It is the
third Predator lost in Afghanistan since the campaign began
Oct. 7.