[CPEO-MEF] PENTAGON RIGGING BMD TESTS

[dok@hawaii.rr.com]

Subject: PENTAGON RIGGING BMD TESTS

http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/060900sci-missile-defense.h
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June 9, 2000
Pentagon Has Been Rigging Antimissile Tests, Critics Maintain
By WILLIAM J. BROAD

Citing the Pentagon's own plan, critics of the proposed antimissile
defense and even some military experts say all flight tests of the $60
billion weapon have been rigged to hide a fundamental flaw: The system
cannot distinguish between enemy warheads and decoys.

In interviews, they said that after the system failed to achieve this
crucial discrimination goal against mock targets in its first two flight
tests, the Pentagon substituted simpler and fewer decoys that would be
easier for the antimissile weapon to recognize.

The Pentagon's plan was obtained by Theodore A. Postol, an arms expert at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who opposes the weapon. It covers
the four tests that have taken place as well as future tests up to the
system's projected deployment in 2005. Other technical experts who have
seen it, including both antimissile and decoy designers, concurred with his
criticism, as did a senior government official who has examined the
Pentagon's testing plan.

Continued....




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