US Anti-Missile Test FailsThe US Defence Department says a crucial third test of America's controversial national missile defence system has failed.An interceptor rocket designed to destroy incoming ballistic missiles did not succeed in hitting a dummy warhead launched over the Pacific Ocean. According to initial reports, the interceptor, fired from an island in the Pacific ocean, never separated from its lift-off rocket. Two tests of the system have now failed, with only one reported success. The warhead, fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California just after 0420 GMT, should have been hit at a speed of 24,000 km/h (15,000 mph). The Pentagon says that conducting the test cost $100m. The result is likely to influence US President Bill Clinton as he decides whether to approve a full scale system, costing $60bn, to protect the US from ballistic missiles. |
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